Flings
by imaginary-witness
Summary: Erwin hasn't been on a business trip since he began dating Levi over a year ago, breaking his tradition of having a fling in every city he visits. But when he is scheduled to represent his company in LA, Erwin finds his true sexual desires resurface. Despite his own hesitations, Levi takes it upon himself to give his boyfriend a chance to relive his kinky old habits without guilt.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Flings

Author: imaginary-witness

Pairings: Eruri

Characters: Erwin Smith, Levi, Miche Zacharius, Nile Dok

Ratings: R/Mature

Warnings: Graphic sex/BDSM

Genre: Alt universe, Angst (light), Fluff, Romance.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed), human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

 **Author's Notes: **Reviews are always appreciated and constructive criticism is always welcomed! Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1:**

Erwin stared at the email on his computer screen outlining the schedule for his flights, meetings, and conference calls for his upcoming business trip. He hadn't been on any trips for the last year and a half having made the choice to work locally. When given the option to go on a trip for work, he simply had the potential partners fly in to meet him and conducted the business at his own office space. He had thought since he had been so adamant in his decision to abandon trips out-of-state that it became accepted as common knowledge to his colleagues that he wasn't interested in pursuing travel opportunities. He definitely hadn't been private about his reasoning either; Erwin had met someone that had changed his very own view of the world, and he hadn't wanted to spend a moment apart from him since.

As he sat staring at the screen and drumming his fingertips on the desktop, Erwin mused about all the possible ways he could break the news to his partner, a very understanding and ethical man. But Levi was known to be unforgiving, and he had taken his time to give Erwin any of his trust; which made Erwin feel a disturbing sense of rising panic regarding telling Levi about the trip. In truth, Erwin had a problem that he felt compelled to hide from his new partner, and by keeping himself on a short leash, he figured it was the best way to hide it. Now that he was in a situation where he was expected to leave Levi behind and travel across the country for work, Erwin wasn't sure he could trust himself to not fall back on his habits, and in turn hurt Levi and break the very fragile trust they had between them.

Needless to say, their relationship wasn't weak by any means. Rather, it was a strong, passionate, and surreal connection that Erwin still found hard to believe was real. What concerned him, despite the fact that Levi was a fiery and devote lover, was the knowledge that he knew that he could easily overwhelm the small, dark-haired man if he wanted to, simply because Levi had a broken past. Orphaned at a young age and abused in his past relationships, he wasn't the partner capable of withstanding Erwin's darker, kinkier needs, but Erwin valued him above everything else in his life, and if that meant depriving himself of his vices, so be it. There was just something pure and beautiful about Levi that Erwin wanted to preserve, a sense of innocence that he felt gave Levi his will to go on. To hurt him in a way that would overwhelm him, especially in a way he was hurt before, was an unbearable thought to the blonde, so instead he forced himself to keep a low profile and erase his past habits as best he could so that Levi was never aware such habits existed in the first place.

And for the first few months of their relationship, it had worked. He hadn't been tempted to fall back on his old ways because he had been so enthralled by their new ways together. Progressing rather quickly as a couple, and excited to start a life together, Erwin proposed the pair move in together four months after they started dating. It had taken more time than he had liked convincing Levi that it was a safe step to take, and then longer to begin searching for a place that they would both like to live. It was late summer by the time everything had been finalized for them to move, and they settled into a spacious penthouse close to Erwin's workplace, having agreed to sell both their old places in favour of a fresh space. Levi had taken to working from home, since his career as a screenplay writer gave him the freedom to work from almost any location of his choice, and Erwin had broke the news to his colleagues that he was - finally - in a serious, fully-committed relationship. Once the shock had dispelled surrounding his sudden change in social status, Erwin expected his life to go on as it had for the past several months, until recently when he was informed of this upcoming trip.

Erwin heaved a sigh and then loosened his tie at the base of his throat. His mind felt heavy and buzzed with anxiety, so he figured he would the only thing he could think of doing: he would take Levi out to dinner and break the news to him about the upcoming trip. He would explain how he had no choice in the matter, that the contractors were demanding and hard to please, and that he would make the trip as quickly as possibly. He wouldn't mention anything of any past business trips, and he most definitely wouldn't tell Levi about the burning temptation he was having to find a kinky fling while away. It wasn't that he was unsatisfied in his relationship with Levi in any way, or that he had a desire to be with multiple partners at once; despite his best attempts to curb his vices Erwin just simply felt the need to dominate in the bedroom in ways that were seen as unconventional, if not violent, means of sexual release, and he didn't have the heart to ask Levi to allow him to use him that way. The last month had become especially hard for himself, having denied himself his outlet for so long, and he had felt his control slip several times: once he had even found himself tightly gripping Levi's wrists for majority of their coupling, and it was only after his orgasm that he realized it. Afraid to force Levi to relive the abuse of his past lovers, and therefore give Levi any reason to leave him, Erwin tried to reign in his self-control.

But now that the opportunity to find an outlet that Levi wouldn't know of presented itself, Erwin was finding it a difficult task to stay focused on very little else. When he wasn't listening to his shoulder-devil convincing him to cheat, he was already guilting himself for even having the thought of cheating on his partner. While it wasn't as if it would be his first travel-fling, it was the first time he was in a committed relationship when deciding on having one. Before hooking up with Levi, Erwin had had flings for all of his business trips, and had basked in all the benefits being a single, handsome, and wealthy businessman had to offer. Now he was panicked with the thought that he would do something impulsive that he would live to regret.

He was startled out of his thoughts when the lights around him turned off suddenly, and he shook his head to clear it before looking around. The office outside his own private space, usually bustling with activity and the clatter of keyboards, was empty and quiet, and he realized most of his coworkers had clocked out already.

Erwin closed his internet screen, turned off his computer, then slipped on his blazer. He rose and gathered his things, before taking his briefcase and heading out to the elevator, and then down to his car in the building's underground parkade. As soon as he started his car, he hooked up his phone to the Bluetooth and called Ragini's, the Italian restaurant he had taken Levi to propose the idea of living together, and booked a reservation for tomorrow evening. Then he turned his phone to silent and switched on the radio for the rest of the drive home.

Levi had gone out since his car wasn't in the garage, so Erwin showered in hopes that it would help calm him down. His trip was in three days, and it lasted four, so he would be home in roughly a weeks time. He found himself staring at the palm of his hand in the shower, and he debated beginning to stroke himself, when he heard the bathroom door opening.

"I brought dinner." Levi greeted him, his figure hazy from the amount of steam in the room.

"I'm just finishing up." Erwin replied, letting the water rinse himself off. He gave his head a shake and shut the hot water off entirely. The resulting cold water jolted him out of his trance, as he hoped it would, and he sighed in relief. Now that he felt more in control of himself, he turned off the water and reached out to grab his towel.

Levi had left the room by then, to Erwin's gratitude, so the blonde stepped out and patted himself dry. He headed into their closet, finding himself grey sweatpants, and then glanced around for any suitcases; when he lived alone he usually kept the suitcases in his closet.

"Erwin!" Levi called, getting impatient. "I'm hungry, hurry up!"

"Coming!" Erwin called, pulling on a white T-shirt, then heading out to dinner.

Dinner had been a comforting occasion. Levi had brought home Chinese takeout and they sat on the couch trading the four boxes of various dishes between themselves and talking about their work days. Apparently Levi had been out all day following up on touching base with his historical consultant for his crime-drama script, which led to him staying out later than he wanted. Erwin nodded, allowing Levi to talk as much as he wanted, eager to avoid the topic of his own work place, and thus the trip. He thought of the perfect way to steer the conversation around to something else as they were finishing up,

"Thanks for picking up dinner," he began, smiling at Levi as they set down the empty cartons. He picked up both fortune cookies and held them out for Levi to choose from.

Levi smiled, then reached out and took a cookie.

Erwin seized the opportunity, "In return, I'll handle dinner tomorrow."

Levi looked up in surprise, having been cracking open his cookie when Erwin spoke. "You don't- you don't have to do that." Levi stammered, trying to hide the fact that he was caught off guard. Erwin usually didn't cook much, so dinner by him often meant an expensive meal.

"No I insist. I've, uh, actually got...uh, a something to tell you."

Levi's eyes sparkled with curiosity and he tilted his head, silently challenging Erwin to tell him now.

Erwin escaped by beginning to eat his own cookie. "Tomorrow." He stated, a sly smile on his lips. Levi was used to this sort of wait in their relationship so far, so Erwin was glad he had taken to rolling his eyes and accepting his fate. When Erwin wanted to make him wait it out, he always got his way.

Their evening was cozy. A light rain had started to fall, inspiring Levi to write another scene in his script, so he brought his laptop out to the spacious living room to write. Erwin, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Levi before leaving, pulled his lover into his lap, holding him between his legs in front of the small, glass fireplace. It was still too early in the autumn season to turn the gas on and let a small flame rise, but Erwin did anyways to welcome the system back to life and set the ambiance for their cuddle.

It was late when Levi saved his document and shut the lid on his laptop. Erwin had steadily grown drowsy as the evening wore on, and he had taken to lying behind Levi with his eyes closed and an arm around the smaller man's waist. Levi nudged him awake just enough to coax the blonde to join him in bed, glad to see the look of anxiety leaving Erwin as he slumbered.

* * *

Erwin awoke to the steady sound of his alarm clock, and despite his desire to sleep some more, he hastily reached out to shut the alarm off before it would wake Levi. He got ready for work quietly, letting Levi sleep in, then left for the day. He cursed himself in traffic, feeling more like he belonged to his company than his company belonged to him at this point in his life.

As soon as he arrived, he headed to his colleague's private office, knocking the door before letting himself in, as only a boss could do.

"Erwin!" Miche, his friend, and colleague, greeted him, "Here to pick up your plane ticket then?"

"If I must." Erwin heaved a sigh, letting his displeasure show, "I still don't see why I have to go, you know I don't do these trips anymore."

Miche heaved a sigh. "I know. I'd take it if I could, I would. But it's not me they want to see, and this is-"

"A big breakthrough for us if we secure the deal, yeah I know." Erwin sighed. "I just...I'm having a hard time being away from Levi for that long." He confessed.

Miche stood and came to place his hands on Erwin's shoulders. "It's only a few days, Erwin." He reminded him, "You can do it. Just...focus on the job, secure the deal. Who knows? You might get back early?"

Erwin nodded, allowing Miche to do the thinking for him.

"Imagine the opportunity," Miche continued, "We could open a branch in LA? Move there? Just imagine how good that will be for Levi's career? He'll be in Hollywood."

Erwin's eyes narrowed and his lips curved up in a proud smile. "He doesn't write for Hollywood." He found himself mumbling.

"Yet." Miche countered easily with a sly smile of his own.

"He'd love that." Erwin breathed, his chest suddenly feeling constricted as he thought of the happiness it would bring Levi. "Alright," he gave his head a slight shake, "I'll do it, I'll go. But I'm not happy about it."

"I know." Miche chuckled, slapping Erwin's shoulders before turning away to grab the plane ticket and necessary documents for Erwin's trip in a folder on his desk. He handed them to Erwin with an apologetic smile, "Hopefully this gives us the break we need to not have to do all these trips anymore."

Erwin nodded, resigning himself to the task. "Let's just pray all goes well." He mumbled, before heading back to his own office space. He began to review the details of the case, committing important facts to memory in hopes of impressing the representatives of the larger, more well-off company. Hours past, and he decided to work reviewing reports of the other recent company case. Before he knew it had crept up on him, and the offices were slowly beginning to empty for the weekend.

Startled by his hunger from missing lunch, he checked his watch, then called Levi from his office phone. After asking him to get ready for dinner and informing him he was on his way to pick him up, he hung up and rose from his seat, pausing to make sure he had all the documents he needed for his trip securely in his briefcase.

Friday evening traffic always seemed more optimistic than rush hour at any other time of the week. He pulled up to the front of their building rather than head into the parkade, and grinned as he saw Levi stepping out of the building after sighting his navy blue SUV. His lover was dressed in black dress pants and a crimson, silk button up, with a black scarf wrapped around his neck. He came over to the car and pulled open the passenger door, before sliding into the seat.

"Thanks babe," he greeted him, immediately leaning across the gearshift to press a kiss to Erwin's cheek.

Erwin turned his face as Levi approached him so he kissed him on the lips instead. "I love you." He replied, immediately taking Levi's hand in one of his own and beginning to drive them towards the restaurant. A light panic began to climb in his chest, but just the feel of Levi's hand in his own gave him the courage to proceed with his plan; he had to tell Levi about the trip, and he hoped all would go well without him having to disclose too much information about his past trips.

The ride to the restaurant was short, but quiet. Levi hummed as he watched the city around them. Erwin turned the radio down to listen to him instead. They found a close parking space on the side of the road, not too far from the restaurant, and Erwin felt as nervous, as if he was planning to propose. The waitress led them to a private table at the back, and Erwin pulled out the chair for Levi to sit first. He gave the waitress a quick order for their best red wine, and nodded as she inquired about appetizers. In truth, now that he was here, he wanted to get the topic off his chest as soon as he could.

Levi could tell, so he playfully tortured Erwin by picking up his menu and immersing himself in his choices. "Seafood or the roasted chicken? What do you think, babe? The salmon was cooked to perfection last time."

Erwin bit the inside of his lower lip and smiled at Levi, his sea blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "We had chicken yesterday." He prompted him, playing to Levi's logical side.

"Mmh, you're right. Maybe I'd be better off with something vegetarian today then?" Levi mumbled, playing with his diet again.

Erwin smiled and tasted his wine as the server poured him a glass, surprised by how incredibly sweet it was. "The wine is delicious," he commented, causing Levi to peek out from behind his menu.

"I'll have the salmon," he told the server, prompting Erwin to place his order as well. Since the appetizer plate had arrived to their table he seemed eager to hear Erwin out. Their server nodded and took their orders to the kitchen, leaving them alone. A moment passed in silence as they both began eating from the bread basket to avoid being the first to talk. Or perhaps it was because they were both hungry.

Erwin grinned sheepishly at Levi, smearing some butter on a dinner roll. "I skipped lunch," he explained before taking a big bite of the bread.

"So did I." Levi chuckled, taking a bite of his own dinner roll. He shrugged, then hid his mouth with his hand as he continued speaking. "I had a conference call, and I didn't want to spoil dinner afterwards."

Erwin chuckled, "Workaholic." he teased Levi.

"So?" Levi asked, making it obvious he was changing the topic. "You seem to have something on your mind." He prompted, his silver eyes playful but concerned.

Erwin exhaled heavily and drummed his fingertips on the tabletop. "It's obvious something's eating away at me, huh?" He joked, trying to make light of the situation.

"What, did you get some chick pregnant?" Levi asked in a teasing tone, reaching out to take a second dinner roll.

Erwin's eyes widened and he shook his head immediately. "No, of course not!" He refuted in a shocked whispered. "No," he spoke again, calmer and taking Levi's words as more of a joke than his initial reaction. "It's just...I have to go to LA for business." He frowned, "And I don't want to go."

Levi's eyes widened with surprise, and then pride. "That's good, isn't it?" He asked, putting the remainder of his dinner roll on his plate. He reached out to place his hand on top of Erwin's on the table, "I'm so proud of you! LA - that's wow! That's quite the connection."

Erwin was surprised by Levi's interest in his job; usually the smaller man didn't comment much on the matter. He smiled, surprised by how much he enjoyed Levi's genuine praise; the sparkle in his silver eyes gave it away. He bit his lower lip, trying to hide his grin, but failed and then felt the familiar burning of affection he had in his chest every time he saw Levi's bright, answering smile.

"I'm-" he licked his lips, deciding to steer the conversation impulsively in a direction he hadn't thought through yet, "I'm really hoping to make this deal, Levi. Then we can finally open a branch in LA, and that means-"

Levi's jaw dropped open in surprise, piecing together what Erwin was telling him. "That means?" He murmured, prompting Erwin to finish talking.

"We'd be moving to the west coast, sweetheart." Erwin replied easily.

"LA?" Levi asked, his tone tainted with disbelief, "We'd be moving to LA?"

Erwin nodded, watching the joy grow in Levi's eyes.

Their server arrived, placing their plates in front of them and breaking them out of this silent euphoria. Levi stammered a thanks to her, picking up his fork and beginning to poke at his salmon. He waited until she cleared their discarded bread basket away before speaking again.

"So-" he began, trying to find a way back to their original conversation, "When do you leave?" When he looked up to meet Erwin's eyes, the sudden realization that he would be alone while Erwin was away clear in his eyes.

"Sunday evening is my flight." Erwin murmured, feeling down about leaving Levi behind, "So in two days. I get back on the Thursday, hopefully. The Friday for sure."

Levi perked up at the mention of Erwin returning. He tried to smile for him, hoping he appeared encouraging, but Erwin could see the trace of sadness in Levi's face. It appeared they had both grown quite attached to the other since moving in together, to the point that living apart from each other seemed foreign to them. Erwin wondered how such a thing were possible when it was only a year ago that he hadn't been able to sleep beside the person he screwed.

He forced himself to stop his mind from following that thought process while he was around Levi and instead he smiled and reached out to tickle Levi's wrist. "It's only five days at the most, Levi." He teased him, "I'll be back before you know it."

"You'll call me?" Levi asked, "Everyday?"

Erwin was surprised by Levi's question, noting the tone of his voice. He seemed frightened with Erwin leaving him behind, but he assumed it was because he was afraid to be alone after all this time; Levi tended to be apprehensive of new social situations because of his unfortunate past.

"Of course I will!" Erwin gently teased him, continuing to stroke his wrist with his fingertips. "Morning and night." He promised.

Levi seemed to relax at his words, and he took another bite of his salmon. He nodded, watching Erwin eating his steak, then tried to smile again for him. "It's alright," he nodded, seemingly convincing both himself and Erwin at the same time, "we'll be alright."

Erwin spent Saturday at home with Levi, going grocery shop for the week with him, and then returning home in the afternoon to pack his suitcase. Levi insisted on ironing the clothing he was taking, so they stood side-by-side in the bedroom, with Erwin carefully folding each item before packing it as Levi handed them to him, still warm from the fresh ironing. Afterwards, he double-checked he had what he needed in his suitcase as part of his carry-on luggage, giving him something to do on the seven hour flight. He was travelling first class, so he was looking forwards to being able to stretch his long legs and use his laptop for most of the flight without worry if anyone was snooping his screen.

They shared a bottle of wine as they cooked dinner together, before heading to bed early so they could spend the night in each other's arms before having to be apart for most of the week. They coupled as they usually did, with Levi splayed out sensually on the mattress and Erwin, gently but powerfully making sweet love to him, before falling asleep embracing each other tightly.

* * *

Sunday morning was bleak, chilly, and grey. Erwin opened his eyes and rolled over to face Levi, reaching out to brush his short dark hair off his forehead.

Levi's eyelashes fluttered and the corners of his lips twisted up, and he blindly reached out a hand to hold Erwin's shoulder. "What time is it?" he asked, surprised by how blissful the morning was.

"Just after eleven." Erwin informed him.

"We should wake up then." Levi murmured, not entirely convincingly.

Erwin chuckled, beginning to stroke Levi's cheek. "Sure." He chuckled, "When are we leaving?"

"After noon." Levi sighed, rolling onto his back. "After one maybe? You don't leave 'til three, right?"

"Yeah," Erwin mumbled, "Take off at three." He sighed heavily, not wanting to leave the warmth of their bed.

"I'm gonna shower." Levi stated suddenly, before rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

Erwin nodded. He planned on getting up in half an hour's time, so he would use the bathroom after Levi finished. They'd have time to eat, and then he would have to pack up the SUV. After that they would spent an hour driving to the airport and he would have just enough time to find the right gate for his flight and check-in. He sighed and ran both his hands through his hair, pushing the blonde strands off his face and sighing heavily. Part of him wanted to have sex with Levi one more time, but another part of him was afraid of how Levi would react.

When they had first began dating, Levi was extremely hesitant to sleep with Erwin, even in a vanilla sense. It had taken Erwin weeks to get the story out of Levi, but after he was told about how he was abused in his first relationship, and then ended up in a similar situation in his second relationship, he was sorry for ever making attempts that he thought were innocently playful with Levi. It was true he might be reacting rather overprotective of him, but he didn't want Levi to find any similarities between himself and his exes, and if that meant curbing his desires so Levi was reassured he was in a relationship for who he was and not for his body, he would gladly do it.

He was startled out of his train of thoughts by his ringing cell phone and he glanced towards the en suite bathroom's door to make sure Levi hadn't heard it. He snatched his phone off the nightstand beside the bed and answered it without checking the caller id.

"Erwin?" Miche greeted him, "Just thought I'd check in, you're flight's in less than four hours."

"Miche," Erwin breathed, then sighed; it was ridiculous that Miche was calling him beforehand, as if it was his first meeting abroad. "Yeah, I know."

"Are you still in bed?" Miche asked, sensing the sleep in Erwin's tone.

"Yeah," Erwin smirked, "I just woke up...about twenty minutes ago." he mumbled.

"Christ, Erwin. Don't miss your flight. You need to be in LA for the Monday morning conference."

"I know, I'll be there." Erwin mumbled, cutting his friend off. "I'm just...a little nervous."

"Of what?" Miche asked, baffled by Erwin's self-doubt. "Erwin, you're the smooth talker, you got this."

"No," Erwin rolled his eyes. "I got the deal down. I'm nervous about...the whole situation with Levi." He admitted, breathing in a tight whisper. He glanced to the bathroom door again; the water had shut off but he was sure Levi still wasn't aware he was on the phone.

Miche sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll bite. What's the big deal, Erwin? He's gonna be fine. Do you want me to check up on him from time to time?"

"No, it's not _him_." Erwin stressed, beginning to feel his anxiety rising. "It's me. I'm...I..." he licked his lower lip, pushing his hair back with his free hand. "I always had flings on my business trips, Miche. You know how I play, 'toys and boys,' and all that fun?"

There was a grin in the tone of Miche's voice when he agreed with what Erwin was saying. "Wait, so you're telling me you and Levi have been having a _van-ill-a_ relationship?" he asked, surprise in his voice obvious.

"Yeah." Erwin sighed heavily, "It's been vanilla since I met him."

"Wow." Miche stretched out the word. "I thought he was as kinky as you. I thought that was why you settled with him."

"No." Erwin bit his lower lip, "He's...he's been in a few bad relationships and I didn't want to tell anyone about it. I didn't want to appear like those men, so I didn't push him about it. And, and now I'm just having a hard time...keeping everything...you know, under control."

"Well, it's something you enjoyed." Miche mumbled, finding himself in an odd position to be; he didn't want to encourage his friend to have an affair, but at the same time he wasn't ready to tell him to make himself unhappy to stay faithful. "I dunno, Erwin. Maybe you should talk to him?"

"And tell him what?" Erwin growled, his temper rising with the absurdity of the whole conversation. "'I love you Levi, but I'm going to have an affair on my business trip because I want to do some sexually-deviant things and I don't want to hurt you.' Like that would go over well."

"No! Not like that!" Miche defended himself, trying not to laugh at Erwin's example. "Of course not like that! How about when you get back? Can't you...wait it out, and then when you get back maybe sit him down and have a conversation about _your_ needs in your relationship too."

Erwin was quiet for a moment, then glanced at the bathroom; it had been too quiet for him to hear what it was Levi was doing in there. Beginning to question whether Levi would be walking back into the bedroom soon, he tried to move their conversation onto safer topics.

"I'll think about it." He mumbled, "I just...I don't want to scare him."

Miche nodded, "Well...it didn't scare me when you first told me about it." he mumbled, "I mean, it's one hell of a weird fetish, 'Win, but I'm sure he'll be...understanding of it, at the very least."

Erwin nodded, trying to let Miche convince him. "Alright." he agreed, "I'll think about it."

"You've got lots of time." Miche teased him. "Get your ass out of bed. Focus on your job for a bit. Put your dick away, fuckboy."

A guilty grin pulled at Erwin's lips as he heard his old pet name from Miche once more. "Alright." He agreed, "I'm getting up now. I'll call you when I land." He reached up to place his phone back on the nightstand, then sat up groaning as Levi appeared, walking out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and his hair still damp.

"Miche?" he asked, nodding towards Erwin's phone.

Erwin tried to remain calm. "Yeah," he agreed, hoping Levi would give him some hint as to how much he heard.

Levi nodded, patting his hair with a damp towel, "I figured he'd call to check on you. He's a bit of a workaholic, huh?" he teased, before heading over to their closet.

"Yeah. He's just...afraid of our empire collapsing." Erwin joked.

Levi chuckled, "I figured. What did he want? To ask for daily updates about the whole thing?"

Erwin laughed, a note of relief in his voice; if Levi was asking why Miche called, then he probably didn't hear their call. "Yeah, pretty much." he agreed, "So I told him I'd call him when I land and we'll see from there."

Levi nodded, disappearing into their closet. "You should go shower now," he called, "I left you some warm water."

Erwin nodded, then grabbed his phone charger and added it to the small pocket on the outside of his suitcase. "Alright." he mumbled, then entered the closet to press a kiss to the top of Levi's head. He glanced around at their clothes before he left, thinking of what Miche had said about Levi being understanding towards his fetish at the least. Maybe he could start with clothing? At least then Levi would feel safe in knowing it wasn't about the acts they did but rather who it was Erwin was doing them with?

Levi watched Erwin with an innocent curiosity in his eyes. The blonde seemed distracted this morning, and Levi was glad to have discovered why. He looked around at their clothes himself once Erwin had left to go to the bathroom, then reached out to touch the sleeves of several of his own dress shirts. He questioned his life choices, comparing his side of the closet with Erwin's and noting how Erwin's work clothes and casual clothes had a distinct, unique style and colour scheme that separated them from one another. He looked back at his own side of the closet and saw no difference between his styles; there was some cardigans, blazers, and dress shirts, all of similar shades, but very little casual clothing.

He bit his lower lip, then headed to Erwin's side of the closet and took one of his T-shirts off a hanger. It was baby pink, with a grainy black and grey print on the front. He stared at the shirt for a minute, wondering when was the last time he had seen Erwin wear it, then took it off the hanger and shrugged it on. He headed over to the mirror to take a good look at himself in it, and was surprised at how young he appeared in it. The shirt was long and baggy on him, but it smelt of Erwin's cologne, and that alone made Levi smile. He pulled on a dark pair of jeans, then grabbed his cell phone and headed out to the kitchen to prepare their lunch.

Erwin entered the closet shortly after Levi had left. It bothered him that their last hours together were full of hit-and-misses, with them in the same home but not the same rooms. He rushed to pull on his navy business suit, wanting to make sure he appeared classy in the case that his future-business partners would decide to meet him at the airport or hotel when he arrived. He never had it happen before, but he was always scared that one day it would, and he didn't want to appear unprepared and arrive in jeans and a T-shirt like any other tourist.

He placed his briefcase on top of his suitcase, then dragged it bags to the front door, before heading into the kitchen. He paused, standing in shock in the doorway, as he took in Levi's bright, casual outfit for the day.

"Levi?" he gasped his name, his eyes narrowing, and then widening in shock. He sounded as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and it seemed odd to him to match the name of his lover to the bright, young boy in the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Levi asked, turning around to face Erwin. "You look shocked, what's wrong?" he asked, his expression of playfulness changing to concern immediately.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Erwin gasped, "I just, you look...amazing!" he gasped.

"Really?" Levi asked. He looked down at himself in Erwin's shirt, seeming to second-guess himself. "I can change if you'd li-"

"No!" Erwin cut him off, a smile in his voice. "Honestly Levi, you look adorable." he rushed to correct himself, not wanting Levi to change out of his shirt.

"Thanks." Levi mumbled shyly, accepting the compliment without a fuss for once. He turned back to finish mixing the cheese sauce with the noodles on the stove, "I thought it would be...something different." he explained himself, hoping Erwin wouldn't assume it meant he heard his call, "And since you're leaving, it would be a way for me to...still be near you." he mumbled.

Erwin blushed and felt the all-too-familiar warmth spreading across his chest again. He couldn't stop himself from stepping forwards and wrapping his arms around Levi's shoulders, hugging him close to his body. "You are adorable." he whispered again, pressing a kiss to the top of Levi's head.

Levi rolled his eyes and blew his bangs upwards in mockery of the compliment a second time. Erwin chuckled. He brought bowls for Levi to spoon their mac n' cheese into, then headed over to the kitchen table with them to eat.

Little else was said on the matter of Levi's sudden outfit change, but Levi could tell from the sparkle in Erwin's eyes and the way he kept looking down to his chest and back that the blonde was surprised by it. It flattered him that Erwin seemed...grateful about the whole change, and he began turning ideas over in his mind as they ate in mutual silence. Erwin was...different from the other men, that was for sure. He valued Levi, so Levi decided it was time for him to reciprocate Erwin's selflessness in their relationship.

One o'clock arrived too soon, and they rinsed their dishes before throwing them in the dishwasher. Levi made sure he had his wallet before taking Erwin's car keys and waiting by the door. Erwin double-checked his carry-on for the flight ticket and his passport one more time, then smiled at Levi before leading him out the door of their penthouse and down to the parking garage. As he placed his bags into the trunk, Levi slid behind the wheel and readjusted the driver's seat and all the mirrors. They hit the road with an hour and forty minutes to spare before Erwin's flight took off, and cruised at a steady speed on the freeway to make it to the airport.

Erwin was surprised by how much the pink shirt managed to calm him down. He was surprised that Levi had worn it, and while he wasn't entirely sure of the reason behind it, he was glad Levi had taken it as a symbol of comfort. It was the first time he had seen Levi in anything remotely so casual for a very long time; in fact he wasn't sure he had seen Levi in anything so casual ever. The very fact that he was wearing it gave Erwin hope that he was open to broadening their relationship from the static hub of domesticity it had recently become.

Levi pulled up to the drop off point of the airport an hour and ten minutes later, since an accident on the freeway had slowed them down. He put the vehicle into park, then unlatched his seatbelt so he could throw his upper body across the gearshift and wrap Erwin in a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss you." he mumbled, not caring if he said something so sentimental at this point in time.

Erwin chuckled and wrapped his arms around Levi in return. He debated for a moment on his actions, then mentally shrugged and took the chance; reaching across the gearshift he slid his arm under Levi's legs and lifted him carefully across the middle of their seats and into his lap. He pressed their lips together, softly, gently, making sure he wasn't overwhelming the boy, and then held him tight to his chest. "I'm going to miss you too, Levi." he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of his ear.

Levi giggled, surprised by how fast Erwin moved him into his lap. He pressed kisses to the blonde's cheek, then pulled away laughing.

"I already made you late." he tease, "You should get going before you miss your flight."

Erwin nodded, but he made no effort to move. "Hang on," he mumbled, his eyes drinking in Levi's appearance appreciatively. "I wanna capture this moment." he mumbled, fumbling to unlatch his seatbelt and retrieve his phone from his pants pocket without jostling Levi too much on his lap.

Levi giggled, letting Erwin have his way, then wrapped his arms around Erwin's neck and lay against his chest to pose for their selfie. Erwin took several of these whenever he wanted to preserve the moment, which was many time in the start of their relationship, so Levi had grown used to waiting for him to snap away. He was sure Erwin was saving the moment because it was the first time they were going to be apart for so long in their relationship, but a part of him knew it was also to have a photo of him dressed so casually during one of their outings.

Erwin snapped several photos, then pressed a kiss to Levi's cheek. "Alright," he sighed, trying to inject some happiness into his voice so that catching his flight wasn't as depressing as it felt. "I should get going now."

Levi nodded, opening the passenger door and then slipping out of the car. He waited for Erwin to exit as well, before stretching up on his tiptoes to press their lips together.

Erwin wrapped his arms around Levi, holding his closely for another minute, then pulled away reluctantly. "I'll call you." he promised him, then headed around to the trunk to get his bags.

Levi nodded, before heading around the front of the car to slide back into the driver's seat. He clipped on his seatbelt, then waved to Erwin as the blonde heading inside the airport. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes but he blinked them away. He sat there for a minute, watching Erwin disappear further into the airport, then turned the radio up and began the long drive home.


	2. Chapter 2

Ratings: R/Mature

Warnings: Graphic sex/BDSM

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed), human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2:**

The flight was long. Up in the sky, Erwin could tell winter was definitely on the way; grey clouds surrounded them for most of the trip, and twice they had flown through two very light rainfalls. He pulled out his phone several times on the flight to gaze at the photo of Levi in his bright pink T-shirt, before deciding on setting it as his contact photo and his home screen image. Seven hours was a long time to pass in the air, but after years of business trips, with the longest flight being close to seventeen hours, Erwin was a master of patience. He typed up several reports, reread through the statistics of the company he was looking forwards to partnering with, and then began to write a list of things he would need to discuss with Miche regarding opening another branch in LA. Around the midpoint of his flight, he asked the steward for a small dinner and a glass of champagne, and afterwards attempted to watch a movie while others around him took the time to nap.

It was seven at night when his plane landed at LAX, and then it was another hour before he had checked in at the security desk, located his suitcase, and made his way out to the front of the airport. While he didn't anticipate anything, he was surprised to find a tall, dark-haired man that hadn't aged well standing and holding a sign that read his name. He headed over to him and gave him a polite smile, extending his hand for a shake.

"Hello, I'm Erwin Smith." he greeted him.

"Nile Dok." The man replied, giving Erwin a strained smile. Clearly he wasn't as adept at business as Erwin was. "I'm a representative from MP Incorporated. I'll drive you to the hotel, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Erwin grinned, "Please."

Once Nile turned his back and began to lead Erwin out of the airport and towards the company car, Erwin let his smile drop. The man wasn't outwardly rude, but he was in no way suave either. He began to doubt whether he wanted to partner with a company whose representative looked like he had a stick rammed so far up his ass that he had bark for teeth. He decided that once he was alone he would have to call Miche and discuss it with him; it could all be just his own biases tainting his professional opinion again, as Miche complained before. And really, he was in no position to turn down the status gain his own company would have in partnership with the infamous Rod Reiss, current - but slipping - leader of a handful of industries. He almost felt like he knew what Miche would tell him, 'If the representative is stupid, then we have a good chance to buy their own company out from under them and establish monopoly.' He smirked, it was something he wouldn't mind doing.

Nile drove him several blocks into the heart of the city, pointing out the famous landmarks that could be seen all around Hollywood. By the time they arrived at the hotel, Erwin had a decent fantasy about the house he wanted to buy and the best places for Levi to gather inspiration to write at. As he predicted, Nile wasn't only sent by the company to ensure Erwin found his way to his hotel: after escorting him into the hotel, Nile flagged a bellhop to take Erwin's belongings to his room and invited him for drinks at the hotel bar. Erwin casually unbuttoned his blazer, letting it hang open to show off the fact that he was professionally dressed in a custom-fitted suit, and agreed, following Nile at a leisurely pace and flaunting the knowledge on MP Incorporated that he had spent the better half of yesterday learning.

It was after ten o'clock local time when they had begun to wrap up their conversation. No doubt Nile would be informing his superiors about Erwin's answers, concerns, and (exceptional) mannerisms as soon as he left. Erwin, on the other hand, was debating whether he would call Levi or Miche first. It was already after one in the morning in New York, so he was afraid he would wake Levi up if he were to call. He settled on sending Levi a text, explaining that he had been with a professional acquaintance since he landed, and that he would call him in the morning. Then he called Miche to discuss the details so far.

Monday morning came with a foreign wake up call. The alarm on his cell phone was a different pitch than his clock at home, and made him feel disorientated as it broke through his sleep. Erwin reached out and slid the alarm off, then checked his phone for any messages. There was one from Levi at eight in the morning, which meant he probably checked his phone as soon as he woke up. Erwin did the mental math, it was ten am for Levi right now, so he would probably be expecting a message back anytime soon.

He punched in a quick reply, adding that it was only seven am for himself, and that he was going to prepare for the big meeting. Then he rose out of bed and took a shower. He didn't expect negotiations to wrap up today, but he was hoping to lay a solid foundation so negotiations in regards to his terms would be minimal.

His breakfast of French toast, fresh strawberry salad, and black coffee arrived, so he sat down to eat before getting dressed. Afterwards, he headed downstairs, and was surprised to find Nile Dok waiting for him outside the hotel. "Escorting me to the office as well?" he greeted Nile, flashing him a professional smile.

"Wouldn't want you to get lost." Nile smirked and nodded, but his expression came across as sneaky. He got into the company car again, then drove Erwin to the tall, glass office tower of MP Incorporated. They took the elevator up to the twenty-second floor, entering the large conference room the moment the doors parted for them.

Erwin followed Nile to the table, coming to shake the hand of Rod Reiss, the company's CEO. He flashed his most professional smile, complimenting him on success, and ran through all the rules of etiquette for A-class meetings in his head. With his arrival, they were only missing two other members of Rod's corporation, and then their meeting could begin.

The meeting had dragged on, with negotiations becoming quite tried after their hour lunch break. Erwin felt like Rod's company wanted to partner on their terms only, and as much as he tried to be diplomatic about it, by the early-afternoon, he felt his composure start to slip; if the terms of agreement weren't going to change to include some of his own, then the agreement didn't seem like it was going to happen, and he would rather not waste his time on the west coast any longer if the agreement was void. After speaking this outcome, Rod's company grew silent and after a moment they had asked for a rare recess, asking Erwin to give them a moment in private. He took the opportunity to freshen up in the bathroom, feeling overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere of the meeting. When Erwin returned Rod seemed ready to listen, and despite his obvious hesitation to agree to some terms, he did note them down 'to address tomorrow.'

Erwin felt more confident after that small episode, and shortly after they had listened to each other's main concerns, they agreed to call the meeting over for the day, with the intention to meet back at the table tomorrow morning again. Rod took the last hours of the work day to check back on his company's record, and Erwin headed back to the hotel to Skype Miche about how the meeting had went. Afterwards, Erwin had agreed to meet Nile and several of the other company representatives for a dinner out on town, and since he was hoping to win out the representatives from under Rod, he tried his hardest to seem more personable than anything.

* * *

Across the country Levi had spent the day attempting to write his script, but his mind was on his own life and not the lives of his characters. Since his first boyfriend had been very controlling towards him, more specifically in regards to him going out alone with anyone else, he didn't have any friends that he could call to speak to about his situation. He had left most of his old contacts behind when he escaped from his second boyfriend, (for similar reasons as the first), and afterwards he didn't bother attempting to get close to anyone, (besides Erwin). As a result, he spent the day debating with himself about his earlier revelation regarding his relationship, and he found himself contemplating rather impulsive decisions.

In the afternoon, Levi decided to listen to his gut and headed out to explore the city, giving up on his writing for the day since his mind was simply not in it. He returned home early, setting an alarm for the next day and turning in for bed.

* * *

Erwin woke up Tuesday morning, groaning when he realized he was still on the west coast. He rolled his eyes, then forced himself to get out of bed and stumble towards the bathroom. He showered, then welcomed the breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit to his room. He texted Levi, surprised that he had received a message from him at an extremely early morning hour, then got dressed and headed down to the front lobby. Nile was waiting for him again, but seemed much more personable after their dinner last night, and Erwin was glad to see many smiling faces greet him when he arrived at MP Incorporated's board room.

Rod seemed unsettled about the atmosphere in the board room when he arrived, which made Erwin feel more confident. He was sure if this was the way Rod treated him during the rest of their meetings that he would be able to buy MP Inc out from under him, and work it into his own growing company. Their meeting was slower today, with more of the legal assets being dragged out. Erwin had to remind Rod several times that he would need to consult his company's lawyer before making any decisions on that, and that would have to wait until he returned to the east coast. Rod seemed unhappy after receiving that answer for the third time, but Erwin smiled politely and nodded at all the right times, remaining completely professional about it.

Despite the speed of their progress, Erwin was glad their meeting had led to many agreements. Without meaning to he had become the assertive figure in the meeting room, and had begun to gain support from Rod's very own employees. They came to a confident conclusion that the partnership would happen, with only the little but still significant details, to be discussed some time tomorrow. Erwin was glad they didn't schedule the meeting for another early morning, and he hurried to return to his hotel before he could be asked out for another dinner. He wanted to call Miche and inform him of the favorable turn of events, as well as call Levi and hear his voice. He missed hearing him say his name and talk about his day, and he wondered if there was anything he could bring him home from the west coast, perhaps a piece of film history or something to inspire him to finish his script?

When he returned to his hotel, he called Miche and spent two hours talking to him about the meeting with Rod, giving him a brief summary and then discussing what options they would agree to regarding the details of their agreement. Fortunately, the meeting tomorrow was going to be in Rod's private office, between the two of them and none of the other company superiors. He felt comfortable speaking to Miche, away from all the fake politics and stiff suits in the board room, and they soon began to laugh and reminisce about the whole professional world.

The sun was beginning to set when Erwin got off the phone with Miche. He did the math in his head to determine if Levi would still be awake back home in New York, and tried to call him, but after being greeted by the phone company's voice mail greeting, he hung up and decided to go down to the bar for dinner. He debated for a moment if he would rather order room service, and therefore remove all temptations of irresponsibly drinking away his worries, but felt that it wouldn't do him any good to get drunk in his hotel room by himself anyways. He left his blazer on the sofa and removed his necktie, before grabbing his wallet and heading downstairs.

The bar had a cozy, traditional ambiance. Dark rosewood, dim lighting, and live music from a blues-themed, three man band made the bar feel as if it was in a different, disconnected reality than the rest of LA. There was a handful of patrons scattered throughout the bar, which Erwin thought was a reasonable amount given that it was a Tuesday evening. The stools around the bar were mostly empty, with only two people seated at the far left and front of the bar. Erwin headed towards the far right, keeping the tradition of leaving a few stools between drinking patrons, and thus establishing that he was not interested in company. The dozens of bottles that lined the shelves behind the bartender glistened as Erwin approached, and he mentally ran through a small list of his favorite cocktails, debating what to order first.

The bartender was a young brunette boy with large green eyes and a mischievous grin. He nodded at Erwin as he sat down, immediately coming over to take his order.

"What'll it be, sir?" he asked, not hiding the fact that he looked Erwin up and down.

"Scotch on the rocks." Erwin replied easily, glancing the barman up and down. He couldn't help but feel a stirring in his pants for the boy, an impulsive reaction since he was being checked out himself. Before he met Levi, this was the type of boys he usually found to fling around with on his trips. He hoped to set a clear boundary tonight, planning to have a drink or two and then leave before giving the man the wrong impression. Perhaps he could even pass as a heterosexual to keep the boy from getting any ideas.

"Sounds good. Do you have a preference?"

Erwin's eyes narrowed and for a moment he wondered if the boy meant a preference for male or female partners. With a shake of his head he realized he only meant for brand of Scotch.

"Johnnie Walker," Erwin replied, "Black label if you have it."

The bartender nodded, then turned to fix Erwin his drink.

Erwin looked around at the tables in the room, wondering where he could order his food from. Perhaps he would just have the one drink and then retire to his room for dinner? The bartender appeared and placed his drink down in front of him at that moment and broke his train of thought.

Erwin smiled at the boy, uttering a thanks, then took a long sip of his drink.

"Can I get you anything else?" the bartender asked before he even had the chance to swallow.

"Uh," Erwin glanced at one of the servers exiting the kitchens with a steaming plate of food. "Got a menu?"

The boy nodded, but lifted his chin so that he could look down at Erwin. "Uh-huh, but the kitchens will have to prep that." he explained, "Might take a while."

Erwin nodded, "Sure. I don't mind the wait."

The boy smirked arrogantly, immediately flipping a menu out from under the bar. He placed it in front of Erwin, tapping it twice with his hand. "Let me know when you're ready." he smirked, then turned and headed to the opposite side of the bar to take a lady's order.

Erwin flipped the menu open, jumping immediately to the main entrees. Despite the variety of dishes offered, Erwin skimmed the page and settled on the first dish, the mushroom-melt burger with sweet potato fries. He flipped the menu around as the bartender returned to him and pointed out his order.

"Ah," the bartender commented, "Good choice." he took the menu away, then headed off to inform the kitchens of Erwin's meal.

Erwin sighed, then finished his drink in a large gulp. He felt oddly suspended, wanting time to move faster so he could return home, but not wanting to become too anxious over-thinking things. He wondered what Levi was up to in this moment, and he found himself pulling out his phone and pulling up the photo of them in the car before he left for this trip. He smiled at his phone screen, amused that he was captivated by the uniqueness of Levi even from a photograph. In truth, he missed him more than he thought he would, and in his absence Erwin was better able to debate on what he desired for their future. Sex seemed...trivial now; to ask him something so...physical seemed shallow now. He found himself asking himself if he really needed to be a dominant lover or if he simply fell back into it as a role he played out to feel secure about himself.

Until Levi, Erwin had never been in a relationship, so he had no previous experience to draw from. And while he valued Levi immeasurably, it scared him to have his first relationship with someone who was so...fragile. Despite Levi's obvious physical and mental strengths, Erwin didn't want to overstep himself and lose him by assuming he was alright with a sudden advance. But was being too cautious making him seem tooboring or, ironically, too suspicious? Would Levi suspect that he was hiding parts of himself away? Would he be upset if he knew he was holding back, or what it was he was holding back? Was it fair to hide this side of himself from the one person he swore he would never lie to?

Erwin drank a second scotch as he waited for his food and mused about his relationship. The bartender seemed to have backed off, probably after snooping Erwin's phone screen and realizing he was in a relationship. Erwin was glad for that; he valued his privacy more than most people he knew. He glanced around, watching the band for several songs, before his food was brought over to him by the bartender.

"Another drink?" The boy asked, setting the plate down.

"Not yet," Erwin declined. He held up his glass, still half full, "I'm good for now."

The bartender nodded, then left to the other side of the bar again. Erwin picked up his burger and took a large bite, grateful for the delicious food. The mushrooms were warm and tasty, and the lettuce was crunchy, giving the burger just enough texture. He smacked his lips together after he swallowed his first bite, then ate several of the wedge-cut fries. He motioned to the bartender for his third drink after swallowing the last of his second, then took another bite of his burger. He had been so captivated by his hunger that it wasn't until he was just finishing up his food when he realized he was being watched. The lady on the far side of the bar had been watching him out of the corner of her silver eyes, a smirk on her thin, pale pink lips.

Erwin paused in lifting the glass to his lips, startled by how undeniably attractive she was. Her bright eyes and flirtatious lips reminded him immediately of Levi, and he found himself rising out of his seat at the sudden comparison. He paused, hesitating to initiate a conversation with her, but felt compelled to follow through his impulsive actions. Leaving his plate behind, he picked up his glass and headed over to the woman, watching her expression carefully to check that his advance was welcomed.

The woman smiled, her lips parting to reveal perfectly set teeth. Erwin faltered, noticing the same little dental details that furthered her similarities to Levi, the same slight tilt of her right canine, and the same shade of whiteness that was marred only by the light smudged stain of caffeine.

"What brings you here?" She asked, greeting him.

It wasn't until she spoke that Erwin realized he was mistaken; the woman was not a woman at all, as revealed by the husky tone of his voice. Erwin's eyes widened and he looked at the man up and down, completely shocked. The man's slender legs were clad in fashionably torn pantyhose, showing off his skin until his thighs, where his long, grey T-shirt cut off the view. Over his shirt, a scrunched, lightweight scarf bunched rested against his chest, and he wore a black leather jacket, with the folded collar covered in bronze studs. It was the jacket that had led Erwin to believe the man was a female, since the collar was cut to follow women's fashion trends and the scarf concealed his chest. But it was undeniable that the man was indeed a man, and after drinking in the familiar details of his choppy black hair, narrow grey eyes, clean-shaven cheeks, and slim figure, Erwin was baffled to be face to face with a casually-dressed, flirtatious Levi miles oUtah of New York State.

Erwin felt as if his mouth was dry and all the blood in him headed to his groin. He felt sixteen again: inexperienced and unsure how to control his arousal. Levi - so simply dressed - was absolutely stunning. He couldn't remember if he had ever seen Levi in an outfit so far from his usual casual business suit, and he had to mentally remind himself not to reach out and grab a handful of his naked, inviting thigh.

"Uh," Erwin blinked and then licked his lower lip. He finished his scotch, placing the glass on the bar with more force than necessary due to his distraction, then glanced to the bartender before back to Levi. "Business." He shakily replied, unsure of why Levi was asking him such a question. He decided to investigate why Levi was even there, and turned the question back to him, "Y-you?"

Levi smirked, showing off the hue of a lip gloss to Erwin, or could it have been a lipstick? Erwin couldn't be sure. Levi looked down, then back up at Erwin from under his dark eyelashes. "Oh, I'm...just here to meet a friend." He sighed heavily, then took a sip of the martini in front of him, "But...I don't think he's coming."

Erwin's thick eyebrows knit together at Levi's response. He was here to meet someone? And he didn't tell him?

"That's...unfortunate." He commented.

"Not entirely." Levi replied easily, placing his drink back onto the bar. "You're here with me now..." He twisted his tone, hitching his words upwards so they left off as a question that could only be read as an invitation for Erwin's name. At the same time he reached out and placed a hand on Erwin's thigh, before squeezing him slightly with his fingertips, as if urging Erwin to reply.

"Erwin," Erwin replied, feeling his cock twitch inside his boxers at the sudden contact from Levi. He fought to rein in his desire, holding back a moan as Levi's fingers tightened on his leg. For whatever reason, Levi was here inviting him to play along with this odd game, and he decided to give in and follow along.

"Erwin," Levi repeated, "I'm Levi." He removed his hand from Erwin's thigh and offered it for him to shake instead.

Erwin shook his hand, a smile of amusement creeping on his face. He tilted his head, then laughed softly, "Such a beautiful name," he replied in explanation of his laughter, and enjoying the rose-coloured blush that coloured Levi's cheeks.

"Erwin is...quite unique." Levi replied, then motioned to the bartender. "Tequilia shots." He ordered, motioning to himself and Erwin.

The bartender nodded, but his smile didn't fully reach his eyes as before, Erwin noted. He quickly produced two shot glasses, filled them with liquor and placed them on the bar before them, each filled to the brim and covered by a slice of lime. Levi picked up his shot, taking the lime off in one hand, then offering it, palm down, for the bartender to salt. "Please." He coyly purred.

Bothered by Levi's confident charm, the bartender flashed his best smile and shook some salt onto his hand, then Erwin's. As soon as he was done Levi turned to face the blonde, ignoring the bartender entirely, and touched their glasses together with a soft clink. "Cheers," he purred again, then licked the salt, downed his shot, and bit into his lime.

Erwin followed his lead, watching Levi with admiration as the liquor burned his throat.

"Oh, such a shame." Levi mumbled, his voice adopting a mock-concerned tone as he watched the bartender on the other side of the bar. "I think I upset the bartender by talking to you."

Erwin chuckled, surprised by how bold Levi was behaving. "That's not your fault." He replied, "I came to talk to you." He reminded him sensually.

Levi smirked, letting a seductive flame of desire smoulder in his eyes. "Well, if you wanted to do more than talking, I'm in room 1820." He replied, rising from the bar suddenly. He placed his palm down on the bar in front of Erwin as he rose, then very deliberating ran a hand along Erwin's thigh as he turned and left the bar, heading towards the elevators.

Erwin's eyes widened with surprise at how boldly Levi just invited him for 'more.' He realized he was holding his breath when the bartender place another scotch down in front of him and left, obviously slighted by the scene Levi had made. With a shaking hand, Erwin reached out and drank half of the scotch in one sip, then placed the glass down next to...a hotel key card. He felt the scotch rise slightly from his stomach as he choked for a second, glancing towards the elevators before looking back at the key card, exclusively to room 1820. He had enough experience from his trips to know what a hotel key card entailed. He exhaled heavily, picked up the card, then down the rest of his scotch in one large gulp. He rose, tossed four twenties onto the bar to cover his tab, then headed towards the elevators, intending to head to the eighteenth floor.

* * *

The heavy, black door to room 1820 seemed intimidating, and for a moment Erwin hesitated before it, wondering if he had imagined the whole scene in his head. What if it wasn't Levi behind the door? What if it had all been a very erotic daydream? He clenched his fist around the keycard hard enough to feel the plastic dig into his palm, relying on the pain to prove to himself that the card was real. That must've meant Levi had given it to him, right?

He swiped the card into the access panel, unlocking the hotel room door. To his surprise the light were already dim inside, so he entered and shut the door carefully after himself.

"I knew you'd want more." Levi's playfully seductive voice reached him just as he turned around.

Erwin heard the sound of high heels walking across the hardwood floor before he saw Levi, wearing nothing but the torn pantyhose and cropped black T-shirt.

Erwin crossed the room in three quick strides and wrapped his arms around Levi's naked torso, immediately capturing his soft, pink lips in a sweet but passionate kiss. He could feel Levi reach up and caress his cheek, and he sighed into the smaller man's open mouth, before invading it with his tongue. His own hands travelled down Levi's body, grabbing handfuls of his ass and holding him tightly to his own body with a firm hand splayed across his lower back.

Levi gasped softly and playfully, making encouraging noises for Erwin to continue. His own hands came to run through Erwin's silky blonde hair, and he pressed himself closer to his solid body, inhaling the musky scent of his cologne.

Erwin pulled away gasping, without releasing Levi from his grasp. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his body, excited from being scandalous in a hotel room with a person he had 'just met' at the hotel bar, and a part of him questioned if that had been Levi's intention all along. But he knew it he was also excited because that person was Levi, and he was open, and sexual, and seductive, and happy, tempting and encouraging Erwin to fondle him more and more. Erwin kissed him again, squeezing and feeling him as he gently walked them backwards towards the bed.

Levi opened his eyes then, feeling the mattress touch the back of his legs, and he turned them so that Erwin would sit on the edge of the bed first. Before the blonde could recognize what was happening, Levi lowered himself to his knees before him, pulling Erwin's pants zipper down as he looked up into his bright blue eyes. Erwin reached out and caress his cheek, as if in a daze, before his eyes filled with recognition of the position Levi was in.

Erwin felt torn. For a moment he considered breaking their fourth wall and stopping Levi from doing what he was going to do, or at least ask him if it was what he really wanted to do. But another side of him didn't want to upset Levi by breaking their role play, which he clearly put so much effort into. Instead he caught his chin in his hand, holding his gaze for a moment, before he ran his thumb along Levi's lower lip, as if giving him the chance to back out, should he need it.

Levi only smiled at Erwin, letting the blonde tug at his upper lip with the pad of his thumb, before he let his small, pink tongue poke out and lick up his thumb from palm to tip.

Erwin groaned, reaching down his other hand to free his throbbing cock from the slit in his boxers. He smeared his precum down his shaft when his thumb, then stroked himself several times, making sure he was rock solid for Levi.

Levi licked his lower lip as Erwin prepared himself, and he looked up at him with hungry eyes. Erwin only gasped softly, then nodded once. Levi reached out and wrapped his hand around Erwin's erection, feeling the soft skin stretched firmly around the girth of his thick cock. He rubbed his hand up and down slowly, teasing him as he experimented with their first hand job. Erwin hissed at his slow speed, then wrapped his own hand around Levi's wrist and gently guided him to stroke him at a moderately faster pace.

"C'mon baby," he moaned, his voice a pitch higher since he was biting back his painful arousal.

Levi smirked, watching Erwin with delight. The blonde seemed thrilled by the seer image of him on the floor between his legs, so he decided to see what other kinds of reactions he could pull from him. He leaned forwards, hesitant at first, then bolder, as he parted his lips and exhaled his warm breath on Erwin's heated cock. The blonde exhaled shakily, his lips parting and his eyes closing, and the dark haired man took it as a sign of encouragement. He leaned closer, so that Erwin's cock was mere millimetres from his face, then reached out with his tongue and traced the vein at the underside of Erwin's cock from base to tip.

Erwin groaned, his hand unconsciously reaching out to grab a handful of Levi's hair.

Levi stilled, afraid for a moment that Erwin would thrust upwards into his mouth without warning, then breathed a sigh of relief. The blonde had an immensely high amount of self-control, and despite the incredible amount of teasing Levi had done to him he still hadn't forced himself on him in any way. Levi felt a warmth of love and respect blossom in his chest for the man. He parted his lips, lowered his tongue, and then began suck Erwin's cock into his mouth at a slow but steady pace.

Erwin groaned heavily, a low sound of pure pleasure. His eyes closed and his head tilted back, and Levi could feel his fingers relax in his hair. His fingertips twitched and caressed the back of Levi's head, encouraging him to continue with his blowjob.

Levi felt a tinge of pride as he pulled back on Erwin's cock, enjoying the reaction he drew from Erwin more than he imagined he would. He sucked him back into his mouth, then back out, going slightly further down his shaft each time, until he felt the tip of his cock touch the back of his throat. His hand worked around the base of Erwin's erection, and he stroked the last measure of Erwin's cock that he couldn't fit into his mouth without gagging.

Erwin chuckled weakly, his eyes parting slightly to watch Levi suck sloppily on his cock. The man's lips were full and plump, and there was traces of his pink lipstick on Erwin's cock, which humoured the blonde. His balls felt hot and his cock burned with pleasure, so Erwin wound some of Levi's hair in his hand and began to guide him to suck at a faster pace.

"Faster," he gasped, "Just like that!"

Levi moaned around Erwin's cock, surprising the blonde with the vibrations of his vocal agreement. Erwin moaned, then gently pressed Levi head as far down on his cock as he could,

"Cumming!" He gasped, at the same time his sticky white seed flooded Levi's mouth and gushed down the back of his throat.

Levi choked, but tried his best to swallow most of his partner's semen. He let Erwin push him away from his crotch, looking up at him with pride in his silver eyes, and attempting to read Erwin for approval. Erwin looked down at him in wonder and adoration, then smirked seductively and wiped at the corner of Levi's lips with his index finger.

"Lick your lips," he commanded.

Levi obeyed, then wiped at his lips with his own fingertips.

"Come here, join me on the bed." Erwin patted the space beside himself. "I want to watch you touch yourself."

Levi blushed, sitting on the bed beside Erwin. He hadn't heard Erwin be so direct about sex before, and it was an interesting, if not exciting, to see Erwin behaving so boldly in the bedroom. Clearly, there was a side to himself that Erwin had held back from him, and despite feeling initial hesitations towards their activities, Levi felt good seeing Erwin be so bold and domineering. He lay back so that he was resting on the pillows, then spread his legs wide, reached down, and began to graze his fingertips along the length of his shaft through the fabric of the pantyhose.

"That won't do," Erwin sighed in disapproval, "that won't do at all." He reached out and grabbed the crotch of the pantyhose in his hands, feeling it in between his fingers for a moment, then held it tightly and pulled it apart. The fabric made a sharp tearing sound as it tore apart, with the individuals threads popping as they snapped. Erwin grinned victoriously, watching with desire in his blue eyes as Levi's cock erected through the hole in the fabric he made. "Much better." He teased, before leaning back so a small distance separated them.

Levi blushed, but kept his legs spread wide so Erwin could see his erection fully. He reached down again, before sliding his fingers down his cock without wrapping his hand around it just yet. He moaned softly, then traced his fingertips back up, then rubbed himself down again. Each time he began to curl his fingers around his cock tighter and tighter, until he was stroking himself at a firm and steady pace.

Erwin reached down between his own legs and began to stroke himself slowly, alternating with fondling his scrotum. When Levi began to stroke himself at a fast enough pace to cum, Erwin reached out and captured his wrists in his hands, before smiling at him seductively. "No more for you now." He whispered, keeping his voice gentle. He released Levi's wrists, then rose and removed the belt from his pants, before looping it around Levi's forearms and then once more around his wrists.

Levi whimpered, but the look in his eyes let Erwin know it was a sound of forbidden desire rather than of fear. Erwin let the sound travel straight to his cock, feeling it twitch in response. He unbutton his pants, letting them drop to the floor, along with his boxers, then began unbuttoning his shirt. Once he was undressed, he pushed Levi's crop top further up his chest and then dragged him gently by the hips closer to the middle of the bed from where he lay on the pillows.

Levi chuckled, amused and aroused by how playful and strategic Erwin was. He wiggles his hips and shifted his legs so that he could flaunt his skin to Erwin, enjoying the look of hunger in the blonde's eyes.

Erwin smirked, parting Levi's legs by guiding his knees apart, then sunk to his own knees, inverting their original position. From where he had moved, he couldn't read the surprise in Levi's eyes, but he was experienced enough with his partner to be able to read his body, and he intended to make sure he was one hundred percent comfortable with each of his actions as he led up to the main act of his foreplay.

Levi laughed weakly, trying to shake off the shock of Erwin going down on him so soon, but was surprised when he felt Erwin's fingertips touching his cock rather than his lips.

Erwin traced down Levi's erection with just his index finger, going from tip to base, before he hooked the bottom of the hole in the pantyhose he made and stretched the fabric out and away from Levi's body. Then he leaned in, so that Levi could feel his silly blonde hair against his scrotum, and stretched the hole in the fabric until it tore even further with his teeth, so that the pantyhose no longer covered Levi's entrance as well. He guided Levi to lift his legs into the air, before letting him rest his legs on top of his shoulders, then buried his face in Levi's ass, and licking up the ridge between his cheeks.

Levi gasped with surprise, then moaned with sudden pleasure. Erwin smiled, his fingertips digging into the flesh on Levi's thighs, before he licked his entrance, teasing it with his tongue. He paused for a moment to lick his own lips, reading Levi's body for any signs of discomfort, then began to rub his tongue into Levi's entrance. Unprepared and virgin to this play, Levi gasped and wiggled under Erwin, and his body initially pulled away, but Erwin was skilled and knew Levi well, and he pulled away every so often to let him adjust to this new form of pleasure. After several times, Levi stopped wiggling away and loosened slightly, allowing Erwin to continue with his licking, and allowed him to begin sucking, slowly at first, and then more hungrily. He held Levi's hips firmly down, holding him in place, then began sucking his entrance as he plunged his tongue inside, feeling and hearing Levi's gasps and moans of pleasure.

Levi grabbed handfuls of the sheets and curled his toes, overwhelmed by the immense pleasure coursing through him. He moaned loudly, feeling his abdomen start to wind up tightly, just like how it felt before he would cum.

"I'm gonna-" he gasped, warning Erwin so he wouldn't release into his hair.

Erwin pulled away suddenly, and the pleasure vanished. Levi gasped, moaned, and quivered, feeling his entrance twitch in disappointment. A wave of disappointment rushed through his body as he came down from his high without cumming at all.

Before he could recover enough to say anything to Erwin, he felt a long, thick, firm object entered his body and fill him up entirely. He groaned loudly, his hands straining against the belt in his attempt to wrap around Erwin's torso as the larger man pressed against his chest, and he realized the man had penetrated him fully with his thick cock. Levi moaned, vaguely feeling the belt dig into his arms as he quivered with shock on the mattress, and they stilled for a moment as he adjusted to the cock buried deep inside him. His walls were forced to stretch to accommodate Erwin, and he knew then that he had never taken Erwin's full length inside himself before, despite the man's denials whenever he had tried to ask about it.

He moaned, his back pressed into the mattress and his fingers curled tightly to dig into his palm, before his fingers relaxed a measure with each passing second he rested. When his breath began to come in steady gasps, about a minute after Erwin had penetrated him fully, Erwin began to move again, slowly at first, pulling all the way out before slamming all the way back in. Levi began to feel hot, wet, and sticky inside, then realized it was because Erwin had cum inside him the moment he had entered. He groaned in pleasure, wanting to reach down and run his fingers along his entrance, feeling Erwin's cock pushing into him and the cum trail down his fingertips. Instead he moaned in overwhelming pleasure, feeling his slick, hot insides stretch and rub around Erwin's erection each time he pounded into him.

"So good," he gasped, his eyes closed, and his body shivering with pleasure. "So fucking good!"

Erwin groaned, holding Levi tightly by the hips and slamming into him at a fast pace. The slickness of their bodies, the heat, and the adrenaline was too much, and he grit his teeth together as he focused on holding his release back long enough to pleasure Levi some more. His eyes raked over the image of Levi, his forearms red were the belt rubbed into him, and he felt his balls heat at the sight. Reluctantly he released Levi with one hand to tug the belt off him, releasing his hands from behind his back.

"Touch yourself!" He ordered, grunting the words.

Levi moaned, barely able to move his arms. He reached out to the sides of the bed, lying crucified before Erwin for a moment as he shook feeling back into his tingling arms. Afterwards, he reached down to stroke himself in time with Erwin's deep thrusts. His moans turned into loud cries of pleasures, and as they crescendoed, he cried out Erwin's name, cumming across their abdomens at the same time Erwin slammed into him and shot his release deep inside Levi's body.


	3. Chapter 3

Ratings: R/Mature

Warnings: Graphic sex/BDSM

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed), human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

* * *

CHAPTER 3:

Erwin woke up to the sound of the alarm on his cell phone again. He reached out to hit the snooze on his touch-screen, not yet wanting to rise from his bed. He was alone in his hotel room again, but with his eyes closed he could still see the way Levi had lain, splayed out and ravishly fucked before him, in room 1820 yesterday night. His dark hair, matted with sweat, was messy and tangled, with some strands clinging to his face and others knotting together on the mattress behind him. His pale skin was reddened from the belt and Erwin's grip, and was also slick with sweat and cum. Smears of his cloudy, white release dripped along his sides and waist as he breathed heavily, and his thighs were covered in long, sticky white strands of Erwin's cum. Erwin felt a guilty desire to coax himself to grow hard one more time just looking at the sight of Levi lying dazed against the mattress, but he realized with remorse as he observed the pink cum drip out of his entrance and down his thighs when he pulled out of his body that Levi simply wouldn't be able to handle one more time.

Instead, Erwin paused to retrieve his phone from his pants pocket on the floor and he snapped several photos of Levi as his own keepsake of the moment. He hoped that Levi wouldn't be opposed to the images, but he would ask him about them later when they were back home. Breathing heavily, he placed his phone on the nightstand, then headed into the bathroom to run them a warm bath. Usually he never cared to look after his flings and retreated out the door as they lay breathlessly and helplessly distracted by the thrill of their orgasm, but now that the fun was over he was sure Levi wouldn't mind if he broke character and became his lover once again. After the tub was full, he slid his arms under Levi and lifted him off the bed, making soft noises of comfort as he heard him moan with a mix of pain and desire. He took the smaller man to the bath and stepped in with him, holding him in his lap and wrapping his arms around the top of his chest from behind him. The water around Levi's crotch turned a faded pink, and then a cloudy red, as all their fluids drained from out of him, and Erwin slid a hand down his torso and eventually under him to feel the skin at his entrance out of concern for his well-being; it was puffy and sensitive, no doubt swollen, and Levi whimpered and pulled away from Erwin's hand as best he could on his weak legs.

"Shh," Erwin whispered, "I love you." He pressed kisses to Levi's temple, then began to wash them both off with some soap. He knew Levi wouldn't be able to accommodate his full length the first time if he were to ever attempt it, so he hadn't tried. He felt guilty for having lost control of himself and impulsively taken Levi without making sure he was fully prepared, as evident by the amount he had bled - which Erwin wasn't entirely surprised by - but he wasn't going to beat himself up about it. Since now they had done it, there was nothing he could do to undo it, so instead he was determined to make sure Levi was safe, loved, and well cared for afterwards.

After washing them up, Erwin had changed Levi into a pair of soft, black, cotton boxers and one of his own T-shirts, amused to find it packed in Levi's small suitcase. He tucked Levi into bed, staying with him until he fell asleep, and then headed back to his own room. As much as he wanted to stay in Levi's, he knew it would be better if he wasn't there to hover over him as he adjusted to seeing this side of him, and he knew it would be best for his work persona to have some time on his own as well after the whole fling.

This morning the whole idea of a fake-fling made him smile, and he fought with himself as he heard the alarm go off again, wanting nothing more than to stay in bed for another five minutes and listen to the sounds of Levi soft, urgent moans of pleasure in his head over and over. He resisted the temptation, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his hands, then slid the alarm off on his phone. He threw the sheets off himself, letting the change in temperature jolt him awake, then headed to the bathroom to get ready for work. When he returned, he called for his breakfast to be delivered to his room, then checked his cell phone for any calls from work. To his surprise, there were none, but he was sure that would change as the morning wore on; Rod would want to meet with him to finalize their agreement at least by late afternoon today, and then it was only a matter of drawing up the legal papers and signing them tomorrow. If all was well, he could be home by , or at the latest.

He sat at the table in his room to eat his breakfast, and was just finishing up when his cell phone started ringing. Erwin held his tie against his chest as he leapt up, then headed over to the nightstand and snatched the device up, smiling as he noticed the key card for room 1820 right beside it.

"Smith speaking, how are you Rod?" he greeted the man. The meeting was arranged for one in the afternoon, as he had predicted, and he smiled at he heard the tones of defeat in Rod's voice. It would be a heavy advantage knowing that he would have to do very little convincing to have the contract bend in the direction he wanted it to.

After hanging up, he tapped his phone against the palm of his hand, staring at the card-1820. He had time before his meeting, so he debated if he could stop by and check on Levi for part of the morning.

After convincing himself that it wasn't for sex, Erwin picked up the keycard and headed out the door, taking the stairway down four floors before letting himself into Levi's room. He was energetic and he hoped the run down the stairs would burn some of it off before he saw Levi again.

He stepped into the room, surprised by how heavily the air still held the scent of sex, then shut the door behind himself and headed over to the bed, where he found Levi still sleeping. Erwin's expression softened as he sighted Levi, and his lips curved up into a smile of approval as he observed his messy black hair splayed along the crisp white pillows, and the pale skin of his hands holding the duvet up to his chin. He was glad Levi was still resting, hoping that his body was recovering from yesterday quickly. He came over to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching out to brush the tangled strands of his hair off Levi's forehead, when the man eyes opened and he moved so that he could look up at Erwin.

"Hey you," Erwin greeted him, stroking the smaller man's cheek instead.

Levi let the sheets drop from where he had them gathered around his mouth so Erwin could see the smile on his face, then sleepily smirked. "Hi babe."

"I thought I was dreaming." Erwin whispered softly, letting his gentle voice break the comfortable silence of the room. "I had to come check on you, make sure it was all real. Thank you, Levi, for yesterday-"

"Shh." Levi whispered, cutting him off. His tone was gentle and genuine, but his lips were tainted with a teasing expression, and his eyes sparkled playfully, "I'm just another one of your flings."

Erwin's eyes sparkled with gratitude, but it was obvious he was confused. He held Levi's gaze, allowing him to see the questions in his eyes, but Levi only smirked and ran his tongue along the edge of his top teeth.

"Not here," Levi replied, "Talk when we get home. Let's just...enjoy meeting each other, again."

Erwin couldn't help but grin at Levi's words. This new, playful side of Levi was captivating, and Erwin was amazed by how irresistible he found him. While he had always hoped Levi would warm up enough to trust him, he had never expected such an open and adventurous person hidden underneath all his past pains. He nodded, surprised but grateful that Levi made such a huge step in their relationship, and he reached out to squeeze his hand to convey the emotions that he couldn't find words to express.

"Are you available for dinner tonight?" He asked him, "We can go out to a nice restaurant, maybe cruise around and explore the city together?"

Levi smirked, turning to lie on his back. His legs untwisted from each under the sheets and he gasped suddenly with surprise as he felt his sore insides ache. "Ah, sure." He replied, his free hand coming upwards to hold a corner of the pillow.

"How are you feeling?" Erwin asked, his thick, blonde eyebrows pinching together as he noted the small moan of pain in Levi's voice.

"A little sore," Levi admitted. He bit his lower lip, then fluttered his eyelashes as he tried to find words to state the obvious, "you're...well endowed."

Erwin chuckled, then leaned over Levi, caressing the side of his face and pressing kisses to his cheek, nose, and lips.

Levi sighed softly, releasing Erwin's hand and the pillow so he could wrap his arms around his neck and hold him close. He moaned in happiness, letting the larger man know he appreciated his effort to hold back his protective instincts and simply play along as if they were still strangers.

Erwin pulled away reluctantly and caressed Levi's face again, gazing tenderly into his bright eyes. "So your friend never showed?" He asked, chuckling lowly at the blush that crossed Levi's cheeks.

"No," Levi rolled his eyes, "he actually called me last night to tell me...he's...not...coming." He bit his lower lip again, watching Erwin with curious eyes.

"Oh I see." Erwin mumbled, pretending to be sympathetic. "So, when are you...leaving?"

Levi looked upwards, so his irises were partly hidden by his pale eyelids. "Tomorrow," he mumbled, dropping the playful tone out of his voice so Erwin knew it was the truth. "My plane leaves at nine in the morning."

"Plane?" Erwin tilted his head, letting a mock look of surprise cross his face, "Where are you heading?"

"Home." Levi replied easily, managing to suppress a chuckle by grinning instead. "Rhode island." He stated, bending the truth. This character of himself would be put to rest when he returned home, since he didn't want to openly say he followed his boyfriend across the country to engage in a sex-based role play. The whole point was to learn about each other in an alternate way, a safe way. It was a way for them to reveal things about themselves to each other in a way that would build trust, or at the least keep them from getting too emotional about such big reveals. But once in New York again, such an emotional detachment would seem unnecessary. Without his character he would continue to be open with his man, but he wouldn't rely on pretending to be his hotel fling from LA to do it anymore.

"East coast?" Erwin asked, "That's a shame, I'm heading back to Chicago after this." He replied, changing his address to his home state as well.

"Chicago sounds nice at this time of year." Levi replied, "All the colours and the cool winds."

"Or heat." Erwin teased, "Ah, so we will make the most of tonight then, Levi. I'll have you back early so you won't miss your flight." He winked.

Levi chuckled, nodding then lifting his head enough to check the time on the alarm clock. "Are you busy now?"

Erwin turned to glance at the time as well, surprised by how fast his meeting with Rod appeared to be approaching. While it was currently still before noon, he didn't want to leave arriving to the last minute, and was hoping to be able to charm Nile Dok into a conversation on the history of MP Inc., as he found he would need the valuable insights of historical weaknesses if he was planning to buy the company out from under Rod.

"I should be going soon," Erwin replied in a mumble, "I have a meeting at one o'clock and I don't want to be the last one in."

"Oh, I see." Levi replied, then smiled. "So when would dinner be?"

"Maybe 6?" Erwin grinned, "Maybe 7? Between there."

Levi nodded. "Sounds nice."

Erwin nodded, then stood up. "I'll be heading out now." He mumbled, lowering his head and looking up at Levi through his fair, blonde eyelashes.

Levi nodded as well, biting his lower lip, then stretched. He turned to glance at the hotel phone on the nightstand, then turned back to face Erwin. "Alright, I'll see you tonight."

Erwin nodded, then turned to leave. He paused at the door when he heard Levi call his name, and stepped back into the doorway to face him. To his surprise, Levi simply opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a menu.

"What would you recommend for breakfast?"

Erwin burst into laughter, surprised by how relaxed Levi appeared, propped against the white pillows and surrounded by the fluffy cover. "Go for the wild berry hot cakes," he replied, playing to Levi's sweet tooth. "They drizzle them in caramel sauce."

Levi's eyes shimmered with delight and he looked up from the menu to catch Erwin's gaze. "Thanks!" He grinned, before turning to snatch up the hotel phone to call for room service.

Erwin chuckled, shaking his head at how amusing Levi was, then headed out. He slipped the key card for his room into his wallet, then headed back to his own room to make sure he had everything he needed for the meeting. After wards he called Nile and headed down to the lobby to meet him. They had a quick drink in the hotel bar as they talked about what Erwin had hoped to, then headed over to meet Rod for the final agreements.

The meeting did not turn out how Erwin expected it to. Rod had called in his older cousin, and began to ask Erwin to divide the contract between the three of them instead; meaning MP Inc would have a man to fall back on rather than risk being bought out. Erwin asked for a recess, then stepped outside to call Miche. After a quick summary of the new request, the men agreed to decline the entire offer and cancel their merge. Rod frowned, upset by this news; he hated to admit it but he needed the merge more than Erwin did to keep his renown business afloat. Despite the fame for his company, he was losing money at an alarming rate, and while he still had many assets to his name, he didn't want to risk his business declining in social standing and losing the title as number one for his industry.

Rod called for a recess and spoke to his cousin in private for a long time, before calling Erwin back into the office. With a heavy sigh, Rod suggested they merge the companies together now to form only one, and in this way he didn't have to sell his company outright to Erwin afterwards. Erwin declined making this decision on his own, and a conference call was arranged so that Miche could be aware of the all the terms of the negotiation. Since a complete merge would occur, in which they would create a whole new third-company, Erwin and Miche would maintain their positions of CEO and COO respectfully, and work alongside Rod rather than involve his cousin. Since Erwin and Miche were originally in business together, based on a majority rule, they would ultimately be able to outvote Rod for any major decisions to be made so the merge would still ultimately work in their favour.

Erwin was glad when the meeting finally ended at four thirty. After all the back and forth discussion and crunching down on all the numbers, he left the office with a spring in his step, eager for his date. He called the hotel front desk and asked to be transferred to room 1820, surprising Levi with his call. "I just got out of the office, so I'm heading over now." He informed him, "Be ready to leave when I come to the door." Levi chuckled, agreeing and having a hard hiding the fact that such a scandalous date was something he had never experienced before.

Erwin also had a surprise of his own when Nile Dok called out to him and offered him a ride back to the hotel. He accepted on the basis that he would need access to a car, and asked him for restaurant recommendations as they drove back to the hotel. As Nile began to list of several of them, Erwin asked him about the closest streets to the beach as well.

"You sound like you're planning quite the evening, Erwin." Nile teased him, "What are you planning?"

"Oh, just some sight-seeing. Maybe check out the properties around here? Have a nice dinner. Rent a car, explore the city." Erwin shrugged, letting the hint for the vehicle drop rather than outwardly ask for it.

As he hoped, Nile's eyes sparkled with the thought of helping a future boss and he immediately offered his own vehicle for Erwin to use. "It's probably a lot more comfortable than a rental." He reasoned, "And they will grill you for all their paperwork and insurance. Just take mine, I have complete coverage. I won't be needing it tonight anyways, so I don't mind if you take it. I can always take a cab home from the hotel."

Erwin grinned, genuinely grateful for the man's hospitality, and he shook his hand warmly as an act of his appreciation. He watched Nile head towards the circle of taxi cabs that hovered constantly at the hotel's entrance, then headed inside to meet with Levi.

Erwin waited impatiently for the elevator, tapping his foot on the ground as he watched the needle above the doors slowly dwindle down. When the doors finally parted, he side-stepped the small crowd exiting, then tapped the button for the eighteenth floor several times, expressing his impatience. The lift door closed irritatingly slow, but thankfully fast enough that no one else had managed to enter the elevator with him and slow his ascend to the eighteenth floor. The lift jolted and began to rise, taking with it Erwin's spirits and hopes for a good evening. He was suddenly nervous as the doors opened on the correct floor and he had to walk out and down the luxurious hallway to the intimating black door of room 20.

He pulled at his collar, taking a large breath, then knocked the door several times. It swung open as soon as he lowered his hand and he was greeted by the sight of his lover in a black, v-neck, t-shirt, leaving his fair, slender arms visible through the honeycomb-cut pattern in the long-sleeves. He wore dark purple jeans with a dark, leather belt, and black dress shoes that Erwin didn't recall seeing in their closet back home. But despite the new changes in his lover's outfit, it was his eyes - rimmed in black and lidded by dark glitter - that he found himself captivated by. Levi's silver irises stared up at him like two full moons in a sky full of glistening stars, and he found his blood heat and his mouth dry at the very sight of him. With every second passing Erwin could feel himself fall head-over-heels in love with Levi all over again, and he stood before him temporarily unable to say anything at all.

"Erwin?" Levi asked, having waited a minute for him to greet him, "How was your meeting?"

Erwin shook his head, unable to look away from Levi's bright eyes, then took two steps to close the distance between them and pressed his lips onto Levi's, catching the smaller man's gasp of surprise in his own mouth. His tongue slithered into Levi's mouth, past his sweet lips and ground against his wet tongue until the smaller man moaned in pleasure, before he pressed their bodies together so Levi could feel his erection press against his naval.

Levi chuckled into Erwin's mouth, surprised and slightly nervous from this sudden show of affection, but he welcomed it and reached up to wrap his arms around Erwin's shoulders. Erwin pulled away at his touch, then licked his lips with a self-conscious look in his own sea blue eyes. "I dunno what just came over me," he admitted, blushing heavily. "I just- I couldn't stop myself."

Levi flushed, flattered by the blonde. Admittedly, those words scared him, but he didn't want to ruin their moment by confessing it. He smiled, honesty proud of his beauty for a change, then reached a hand out for Erwin to hold. The blonde took it and kissed it, watching the dark-haired man light up with flattered affection, then he tilted his head towards the door. "Shall we get going? I have our table booked The Bazaar."

Levi nodded, following Erwin out the door. They got into Nile's Nissan and Erwin drove them to the restaurant, following the directions on the GPS screen. He was glad Levi was looking out the window and taking in all their surroundings; it was a gorgeous late-summer evening, with the sun hanging low in the sky close to the horizon and casting everything around them in a golden glow.

"The west coast sure is beautiful." He mumbled, taking a hand off the wheel to bite nervously on his thumbnail.

"It is." Levi agreed, then pointed out a small, single-family home. "I would live there if I could, to see this sunset every day."

Erwin smirked, then placed his hand back on the wheel. "What about something closer to the beach?" He asked, turning off to find a spot in the restaurant parking lot.

"That sounds nice." Levi agreed, "It would be...serene to live by the beach."

"Nearby," Erwin corrected him, then unfastened his seatbelt and turned the ignition off. He slipped out the door and came around to open Levi's, offering him his hand and then leading him into the restaurant.

They were led to a small brightly-lit area, with sand wood tables and casual wooden dining chairs. The whole space seemed to glow yellow , with lively green plants in vases adding bursts of colour to the warm-wooden walls. They took their seats and were immediately introduced to their waitress, who smiled politely and immediately complimented Levi's eye shadow. Erwin protectively found himself asking about their alcohols to take the attention off his partner, then caught himself between breaths being slightly overbearing. He exhaled then requested a four-year old bottle of red wine to accompany their coffee-rubbed American wagyus, fresh garden salads, and roasted potatoes. Their waitress nodded, quick to take their orders, then headed to the kitchen.

Erwin reached across the table and took Levi's hand, apologizing about ordering for him without asking. "I heard it's very good."

"It's alright," Levi replied. "I trust you." Saying the words felt comforting, and Levi was sure he meant them. They were evolving from their previous relationship to one of closer companionship, trust, and affection - and they had only just met again! Levi blushed, biting his lip as he realized how much he had held them back - not only sexually, but emotionally as well - and by letting go of his own fears, he allowed them to move forwards.

"I'm glad," Erwin responded, his voice rough with emotion. "Thank you."

Their drinks arrived and after his first sip of wine, Erwin decided to play to Levi's character, beginning to ask him about his job, his dreams, and his inspirations. Levi replied and on occasion turned the questions back to Erwin, inquiring about his meeting and proposing they celebrate with a good, rich dessert. Erwin chuckled, finding the warm atmosphere, sweet alcohol, and adoring company calming and homely after such a long day. He was confident that if he hadn't already met Levi and settled in a relationship with him a year prior, he would have immediately asked to commit to him here and now. They paused in their discussion as their food arrived, then spent dinner debating the pros and cons of each district of the city, talking about major routes to work places and recreational outlets.

Afterwards Levi ordered chocolate flan with caramelized bread and raspberry sorbet, with Erwin adding on a request for a cup of Spanish coffee and a cup of black mango tropical tea. They shared their dessert, discussing the beauty of the night sky descending around them, then settled on attempting to find the beach. They left the restaurant, leaving a generous tip for the servers behind, then got back in the car and navigated the late evening traffic leading to the beach. Rather than get out and walk in the sand, they followed the road parallel the shore, glancing at the houses immediate to the seaside and discussed their preferred building structure. "1 bedroom or 2?" Erwin asked, shrugging when Levi inquired about the second. "Kids?" He mumbled, his cheeks tainting pink. Levi burst out laughing, then turned his face back towards his window so Erwin wouldn't see the hopeful smile on his face.

Erwin was surprised when he pulled back up to the hotel that he wasn't raging with desire for Levi's body. True, he was attracted to him, but rather than ravage him - as he had last night - he yearned to hold him in his arms and watch him fall asleep, observing his lithe body as he slumbered. He was hungry for him, but tonight he was more hungry for his soul than his body – he wanted to consume all of him by learning everything about him and making him happy. He paused at the doorway to Levi's room, reaching out to tuck a strand of his dark hair behind his ear, then smirking as it fell back into his face as it usually did.

"Want to come in?" Levi asked, breaking their silence.

"I'd love to," Erwin began, then looked down at Levi's waist and recalled the pink water in the tub last night. "But I'd better not. It's already late, and you have your flight tomorrow."

Levi nodded, the disappointment in his silver eyes appearing for only a moment before he looked up at Erwin with eager excitement, no doubt for their reunion back home. "Alright." He hung onto the edge of the door, hiding behind it as if it were the only physical barrier keeping them apart from each other. "I'll be seeing you then, Erwin."

Erwin nodded, then stepped into the room hesitantly to leaned down and press a kiss to Levi's cheek. "Until tomorrow, my dear." He whispered, soft enough so his words mirrored the sound of a sigh, before he straightened up, caressed Levi's cheek one last time, then headed back to his room on the twentieth floor. When he awoke tomorrow, Levi would already have left the hotel and would probably be boarding his flight back to New York, something he was grateful for. The sight he was most looking forwards to was seeing Levi, safe and happy, back at their home in New York, the minute he stepped back through their front door.

Erwin took the stairs to his own floor, dragging his feet as he headed to his room. He debated going back to sleep in Levi's bed, and hold him in his arms until morning, but he knew it wouldn't be good for his business image. He took a warm shower then headed to bed, leaning against the pillows as he browsed through his social media channels for a quick glance at the news and updates of his friends. Miche had also texted him, informing him that his return flight was moved from Friday morning to Thursday evening, after all the legalities of their merge were finalized. Erwin sighed, then navigated out of his apps, before lovingly gazing at his home screen image of himself and Levi, clad in his pink T-shirt, from several days ago. Proud of their advancing relationship, he turned his phone off and set it on the bedside table before closing his eyes and falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Ratings: R/Mature

Warnings: Graphic sex/BDSM

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed), human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

CHAPTER 4: 

Erwin woke up late, finally having the pleasure of sleeping in to celebrate closing a tough deal with MP Inc. He cracked his eyes open as he blindly fumbled for his phone on the nightstand, then checked the time. Levi was already on his way back to New York now, so he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if his self-control would hold for the night, and he was glad Levi was now out of his reach so even if he was tempted to he couldn't race to room 1820 and delay him for a hug.

Erwin threw the sheets off himself and forced himself to rise. Besides the final arrangements, today gave him a rather open schedule, with little to really do besides wait for the meeting and then his flight, so he tried to keep himself occupied as he trudged through the hours. He showered, got dressed, and headed down to the hotel dining room for breakfast, taking with himself a pad of paper and a pen. He ate his breakfast slowly, writing between bites of food as he waited for the phone to ring. It eventually did, and Erwin was surprised that it was Nile who greeted him and not Rod himself.

"How was last night? Did you enjoy the city?"

Erwin laughed, then put down his fork. "I did." He replied, "Very beautiful. I drove by the beachside. Took some finding, it is a distance from the office."

"It is, but it is well worth it. It's better to be a little inland and make the trip to the beach, rather than make the trip to the office." Nile replied, "So, the meeting is scheduled for some time after two in the afternoon; Rod wanted it to be earlier but the lawyer isn't available. Would you be so kind as to pick me up before the meeting today? You have my ride after all."

Erwin chuckled. "Yeah, I'm fine with that. You're gonna have to give me your address."

Nile gave a weak laugh, letting Erwin know he had forgotten the blonde didn't know where he lived. "I'll text you. Then you can just ask your GPS to do the work."

"Sounds good. Hey Nile," Erwin pressed his luck, "do you know any good real estate agents around here?"

There was a smile in Nile's voice as he spoke. "I miiight." He teased, "One drive around the city has you made up your mind about moving here already?"

"Possibly?" Erwin replied, keeping the same sweet tone in his voice to match Nile's blend of colleague-and-friends. "It's good for my boyfriend's job as well, and it would make things easier since we're just going to merge companies anyways."

There was a short silence from Nile's end of the line. Erwin began to worry if what he had just revealed about himself was taken as offensive by Nile, but the man quickly recovered himself in time.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, that makes perfect sense." Erwin could almost envision a shocked Nile shaking his head at himself as he tried to recompose himself over the phone in a convincing manner. "Tell you what, if you can pick me up in about half an hour, I can arrange to see if my realtor can fit you in before the meeting."

Erwin's eyes widened and his hand jumped to his throat out of habit to check if his necktie was well-fitted. "That...that sounds great, Nile! Thank you! That would definitely make things a lot easier!"

Nile chuckled nervously on the other line, as if he was relieved to have avoided an awkward conversation. "It's not a problem at all, Erwin. I'll just, uh, call the realtor now. See you in...half an hour?"

"Sure." Erwin agreed, "Sounds good." He hung up first, not wanting to let Nile feel any more awkward about the whole situation at the moment than he already did. Being a person who naturally valued direct communication in all of his relationships, he fully intended to speak to him about the matter of his sexual orientation, which he knew to be the cause of the tension behind their conversation regardless of how awkward it would become; it was his personal belief that letting something like that fester would only result in spoiling the relationship, and he would rather tie up all loose ends before heading back to New York and letting them brew into a nasty misunderstanding.

He finished his breakfast, adding the bill to his room tab, and returned keycard 1820 to the front desk, then headed out to Nile's car. He took a moment to observe the city around himself, then shrugged out of his blazer before sliding into the driver's seat. Keeping the door open to allow a breeze to fill the warm cabin, he searched for directions to Nile's address on his maps app, then shut the door, put the car into gear, and began cruising through late morning traffic to his destination.

He arrived a minute early, but fortunately for himself Nile was a very punctual man. Erwin had caught a glance at him pacing on the porch of his bungalow before he pulled alongside the curb and stepped out of the car without turning the ignition off. "Nile!" He greeted him, raising a hand in a wave as the dark haired man approached his vehicle. He was careful not to make direct contact with him, in the case that he was homophobic and would take it as offense.

"Right on time, Smith!" Nile greeted him, watching as the blonde slid into the passenger seat before he himself got behind the wheel. "I managed to get us an appointment for one o'clock, but it's a bit of a drive out to her office. If we get there early we can probably just grab a coffee or something?"

"Sounds like a plan," Erwin agreed, removing his phone from the auxiliary input. He let Nile dominate their conversation for the better half of the drive and asked him only questions vital to keep their conversation flowing smoothly. It was when he had got Nile to talk about his wife, Maria, and their two children that he decided to tackle the topic of their awkward hiccup this morning on the phone. "It sounds like a great place to raise a family, which I'm hoping me and my boyfriend will do in a few years time."

As he predicted, Nile's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he avoided glancing at Erwin as he nodded. For once his reply seemed to stick in his throat.

"We haven't discussed anything...you know, officially yet, about children," Erwin continued, pretending to be oblivious to Nile's discomfort of the topic, "But I'm hoping it will come up naturally - as it does with other couples - after marriage, which-" he paused, sighing as if he was preparing to confess a great secret, "I'm hoping to propose to him...soon."

Nile's lips pressed together firmly and pulled up at the corners in a tight smile. His fingers shifted to relax and then clench the steering wheel tightly in his fist. "That's- that's great, Erwin!" He stammered.

"Is it?" Erwin asked, suddenly changing his tone to obviously present his challenge towards Nile's attitude, "Is it, Nile?"

"What...do you mean, Erwin?" Nile asked, startled by the sudden change.

Erwin felt a significant amount of pride in himself as he twisted the figurative knife into Nile with his words, "It just appears to me that you have some sudden anxiety whenever I bring up the fact that I'm gay." He smirked, "I am hoping that's just a matter of coincidence and nothing to do with any prejudices towards me."

Nile's eyes widened and his mouth flapped open and closed uselessly for a moment as he tried to respond in a timely and professional matter, before he sighed and risked a quick glance at Erwin to check his reaction. "You know, living in California, I'm not new to meeting gay men, Erwin." He began, then bit his lower lip and fell silent again. "You never struck me as the type, but I mean, I know there's no neon arrows or anything about the whole thing. It's not that I'm opposed to what other men - or women - care to do in their own time, or who they love, it's just...a little difficult for me...to be reminded of...because, well long story short, I...I left that life behind and am not really welcome back by it, so it's hard for me to react to it all."

Erwin frowned; his eyebrows pinched together in concern and his sharp blue eyes gleamed as he absorbed this new information. "Oh?" He asked, genuinely interested in Nile's past now that he had confirmed it wasn't a prejudice-based reaction. "Would you mind telling me what happened?"

"It was some time ago," Nile shrugged, "A couple years. I started dating this guy in my third year of college, Keith. After graduation, I got a job at MP, rented out an apartment close to work and the college because Keith was still attending, started a real adult life, ya know? Then I met Maria and...some part of me failed to tell her I was dating Keith. I didn't mean to have an affair, I just...honestly liked them both. And I was confused because I knew they both wouldn't understand, since they both only like men, and time passed faster than I could handle it. Before I knew it, Maria was pregnant and I didn't want to leave her to raise the child alone so I proposed we get married and, well, that didn't go well with Keith. He's a prominent figure in our queer community here so I...wasn't exactly welcomed back, even after explaining I'm doing it for my child."

"Sounds like you still care about him." Erwin commented, "See, that's the trouble with communities sometimes," he pressed, not giving Nile a chance to reply, "They think what's good for them is what's best for everyone involved and it's not so easy to find a solution."

"Yeah," Nile agreed, "love it quite complicated, isn't it?" He paused and a short silence filled the cabin of the car, "I still check up on him from time to time," Nile confessed, "He started seeing this guy Hanji about the time my second child was born. The funny thing is last year Hanji started her transition to becoming a woman, so I guess he's with a woman himself now."

Erwin smirked, letting a snort of amusement escape him. "That is ironic." He replied. "I've always been in the gay scene myself, but I'm new to the whole relationship aspect of it. I met my boyfriend a little over a year ago now. He's an aspiring screenplay writer, so I figured the whole Hollywood scene would be good for him."

"Oh, yeah that's true." Nile replied. "I'm sure he would find it inspiriting."

Erwin breathed a sigh of relief; it was the first time he mentioned his partner that Nile didn't cringe at the topic. Perhaps he was more comfortable having gotten his story with Keith off his chest.

"What's Miche like?" Nile suddenly asked. He navigated the vehicle into a small parking lot and Erwin could tell he picked the topic for a vague answer. "He got a family or naw?"

"He's...enjoying the bachelor life." Erwin smirked, "The company's his wife and child, so he's...not really into the dating scene right now."

Nile nodded, "Ah, I see." He checked the time then turned the ignition off. "Shall we head in?" He asked, motioning to the sign that read L.A Ready Realtors.

"Sure," Erwin agreed. He unfastened his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, following Nile into the lobby of a large office space divided by cubicles.

The realtor was a cheerful, older man with a comb-over and well-trimmed nails. Erwin handed over the list he had written at breakfast this morning, which was a small summary of things he and Levi had both agreed on in a house. "I want a house," Erwin informed the man, "No condos or penthouses. A proper family home." The man nodded, recording details for the amount of bathrooms, bedrooms, and specific amenities Erwin desired: fireplaces, garages, spice kitchens, or various patio designs. Erwin shrugged many of these small details out of his way, choosing instead to be picky with location, "Something between the heart of LA and the beach, "Not too close to the airport, but not in Santa Monica either; I kinda wanna be near Hollywood but not in Hollywood." He explained. The realtor nodded eagerly, recording all the information on a digital file so he could scan the database of homes for sale for Erwin at a later point in time and email him all the potential listings.

It was past one thirty when Nile and Erwin had to excuse themselves from the appointment. With luck they managed to navigate traffic fast enough to make it to MP offices shortly after two, and in time for the meeting with Rod at two thirty. Erwin felt exhausted even before the meeting began, but with the signing of the legal documents slowly wrapping their agreements to a close, he felt a renewed energy motivating him to pay strict attention to the matter at hand. He was sure Rod was just as grateful as he himself was for it all to be over just after four, as they rushed their final handshake to both part their separate ways. Excited to pack his bags and catch his flight home, Erwin headed down to the lobby to call a cab to take him back to the hotel only to find Nile waiting there for him.

"Need a ride?" The slender man asked him.

"It's alright, Nile. You've been driving me around since I landed, one taxi won't hurt me." Erwin joked.

"Yeah, I know." Nile muttered, "I guess I'm just gonna miss you for a bit." He confessed in a childish grumble, "It's been a while since I had any masculine outings, you know? I really enjoyed your company."

"No homo." Erwin teased him, watching the surprise and then amusement appear on Nile's face.

"No homo." Nile agreed, before stepping forwards and giving Erwin a very rigid hug. "I'll see you later then," he murmured, "boss-man."

Erwin chuckled and patted Nile's back. He watched his taxi pull up over the man's shoulder so he grinned and decided to leave him with a surprise of his own, hoping it would alleviate his separation depression for the time being. "Alright, PA."

He quickly stepped out of Nile's hug, pausing for a moment to catch the look of disbelief on his face, before grinning at him and getting into his cab and being driven away.

Once back at the hotel, Erwin headed to his room with the intention to pack his things, when a small blue gift bag with navy tissue paper poking out of the top caught his attention from where it was hung on his bathroom door handle. He approached it with caution, before taking the bag and heading over to the bed to sit down and explore. The first thing he did was open the small card attached to the nylon rope handle, immediately recognizing the messy cursive script as Levi's.

"YOU bought these, not me. Introduce them to me when you get home, there's no rush - we can take it slow."

Erwin's eyebrows knit together and his heartbeat increased. If this was anything as to what he thought they were he would be extremely surprised as to how Levi had obtained them. He didn't think it capable of him to go into an adult store, but after pausing to reflect on the fact that this man travelled across the country to role play a sex fantasy with him he was not entirely sure of his own assumptions anymore. A flush of heat pooled in his groin and caused him to groan with just the recollection of the sex they had in room 1820, and he bit his lower lip to keep from moaning Levi's name; even halfway across the globe he had managed to give him a hard on with just the memory of their romance and a bag of...something explicit. Erwin grinned, feeling proud and protective as he confirmed what he had hoped to be true all along: Levi was definitely his soulmate.

Full of curiousity, he turned the bag upside down on the bed, watching several items tumble onto the mattress beside himself. The first was a long, blue, silk blindfold, that Erwin was already considering able to double as a bondage rope. The second item was a box of some kind, which didn't seem to resemble anything recognizable so he could only assume it was a pack of condoms.Erwin placed the bag down on the floor between his feet so he could reach out and pick up the box advertised as 'Fun!' It didn't seem at all like a store-bought pack of condoms, which alarmed Erwin immediately, but after further inspection he realized why: Levi had decorated it. He chuckled, flipping the box over so that three other designer boxes fell out, each with a different style of lubricant to spice up their affections. Erwin choked on his laughter, picking up each box to read what Levi had decided to bless him with first. There was a wet n' warm box of red, cherry flavour lube, a silicone-based one advertised to bring a tingling stimulating sensation to your co-showers, and an innocent chocolate flavored one for strict oral play.

Erwin burst out laughing, taking a moment to look away from the various lubes to compose himself. He was still shaking with laughter as he began to pack the boxes back into the little box Levi had labeled 'Fun!' "Fun indeed," Erwin laughed to himself, before exhaling and trying to focus on his breathing for a minute. He turned his attention to the last of the treats, pushing aside the various crumpled sheets of tissue paper that had fallen out of the bag and buried it. He paused when his fingertips touch a thin, cold object, and he wrapped his hand around it to pull it out of the pile of paper. It was too thin and inflexible to be something that one would insert, and he was sure Levi wouldn't have been bold enough to attempt any toys of that kind yet, but he was still not expecting it to be the baby blue feather tickler that it was. Erwin burst out laughing again, feeling tears of admiration and amusement spring to the corners of his eyes. He hugged the feather tickler to his chest as he laughed, immediately thinking of the various ways he wanted to trace the soft feathers over every inch of Levi's sensitive skin.

Once he had composed himself, Erwin placed the feather tickler down on the bed beside the package of lubricants and the silky blindfold and bit his lower lip. He realized his hands were shaking, and he was unsure if it was because he was excited or afraid to touch toys like these again. He watched his hand as he reached out and picked up the blindfold, twisting the soft material between his hands as he stretched the fabric taught. He hadn't ever used toys this gentle before as he viewed them as too amateur; Levi had clearly done some research for things for beginners to kink-sex. He frowned, staring at the blindfold held tight in his hands, wondering if he would be able to keep himself from making these seemingly innocent toys something much more than Levi could handle. He ran his thumbs over the smooth material, envisioning it wrapped around Levi's slender face, covering those bright, innocent eyes. Inspired, and yearning to understand Levi's hesitations, Erwin slipped the silky material over his own eyes, before tying the material in a firm knot at the back of his head. He lowered his hands, placing them palm-down on his knees. It was the first time he had tied himself in some sexual way, and ironically it opened his eyes to how it would feel to have a sense denied during such an intimate moment. Perhaps he would get Levi to tie him up as they explored? Perhaps it would help alleviate his anxiety – should he have any – about their increasingly kinky romance?

Erwin reached up and untied the blindfold from around his face, kissed it, then he folded it up and took it with the pack of lube and the feather tickler and added them to the bottom of his suitcase. He sighed with fondness at the items, then proceeded to place his clothes back into the bag and covered the sex toys as best as he could. There was something about them that made him feel confident in Levi, and he paused a moment to pull out his phone and gaze affectionately at his phone screen. Then he added his phone charger and small laptop onto the top of his luggage, before zipping his suitcase up. He looked around the room, trying to spot anything that he didn't want to forget, then picked up the blue gift bag and snapped the tiny card off the handle, and tucked it in his wallet.

Erwin checked out at seven thirty, taking his single bag of luggage with him towards the ring of cabs at the front of the hotel. He debated asking to be driven to a restaurant for dinner, then decided to just find something at the airport instead. He checked his bag in first, taking his laptop out and carrying it with him towards the eatery. There was plenty of fast food options here, and not wanting to eat too much before flying, Erwin decided to get pizza. Two slices and a diet coke later, he headed to his terminal and found his seat on the plane. A stewardess passed by him and he raised his hand to catch her attention, "A pillow, please." he requested, then produced his ear buds from inside his blazer pocket. He inserted the headphone jack into the port on his phone and pulled up an instrumental playlist of classical piano tunes, then buckled his seatbelt and settled back into his seat in hopes that he would sleep through the majority of his flight.

It was four in the morning when Erwin's plane landed at JFK international airport. He had been woken by a jolt of heavy turbulence an hour earlier and had been sipping at some sparkling water for the past hour, observing the other passengers all sleeping around him. He was anxious to get off the plane and despite the fact that he had just slept, he stayed seated with his eyes closed, hoping that the pilot would announce their descend any time soon.

Now with his feet firmly on the ground once again, Erwin quickly made his way through the security check-in and collected his bag before heading out to the front of the airport as fast as he could. He took the first cab he saw, dragging his suitcase with himself into the backseat rather than tucking it in the trunk, and rattled off his address to the driver. He closed his eyes for a moment as the cab pulled away from the curb and was surprised when he was shaken away by the cab driver in front of his building. "What?" he mumbled, then looked around.

"We've arrived, sir." the driver replied.

"Oh. Right, good." Erwin mumbled. He pulled several bills out of his pants pocket, then handed them to the cab driver. "Keep the change." He mumbled, taking his suitcase out of the door after himself.

The cab driver nodded and thanked him, then pulled away once Erwin had stepped onto the sidewalk.

Erwin made his way to the building's main entrance, stopping at the door to enter the building code into the keypad and calling for the elevator as soon as he could reach it. Once inside, he entered the code for his penthouse at the top of the building, then leaned against the wall to rest his sore legs. The only thing he hated more than being away from home during these business trips was the fatigue that got to him whenever he returned.

The elevator doors opened and Erwin stepped out and into his home once more, glad to be back. It surprised him that the lights were still on, and he wondered if Levi had fallen asleep writing at the couch, as he did sometimes. He left his suitcase in the foyer and entered the living room, eager to find Levi and see if he was correct on his guess. It was quiet in the penthouse, there was no sound of Levi typing, so he took it as a sign that he had assumed well.

To his surprise the small, dark-haired boy was sitting up and watching the widescreen TV, with the volume turned down so low that the people on the screen barely made any noise at all. Levi turned to face him, then his lips parted in a smile and he jumped off the couch and ran over to give Erwin a hug. "Erwin!" He gasped, surprising him with a tight hug, "I'm so glad you're home!"

Erwin wrapped his arms around Levi in return, holding him tightly against his body. For a moment he believed that he hadn't seen Levi since he had left, and that his boyfriend had stayed in New York this whole time, but he chuckled out loud as he realized that Levi had indeed made the impossible possible, and he had been there with him in LA.

"I brought home some gifts for you." Erwin grinned, "Stay here, let me get them."

Levi giggled and nodded, then sat down on the couch. As Erwin dragged in his suitcase he looked Levi up and down, noticing that he was wearing only a pair of loose, light-coloured boxers and a loose-fitted vest that hung on his slender frame.

"You look amazing!" Erwin complimented him, glad to see that Levi had left his arms and legs exposed, rather than attempt to cover them up modestly, (despite being in the privacy of his own home).

Levi blushed and bit his lower lip, unsure of how to reply. He decided to go for some truth, knowing Erwin was probably immensely confused by his recent behavioural changes. "Thanks, I just...I wanted to try something new. Maybe learn to be a bit more comfortable with myself."

Erwin paused in opening his suitcase and met Levi's gaze, then grinned at him out of pride. "It suits you. I think you look great, just casual and comfy."

Levi smiled, grateful for Erwin's support. "What did you get me?" He asked instead, changing the topic.

"Oh, just some toys." Erwin smirked suggestively, letting the hint drop for Levi to prepare himself for what he already knew was coming. "I thought...we could maybe grow a little more comfortably with exploring in the bedroom."

Levi bit his lower lip but his eyes held no fear. "Like...how?" he asked, pushing Erwin to show him the objects.

"Well, for starters," Erwin began, then stopped mid-sentence and all the playfulness was gone from his eyes. He had been bothered by Levi's reaction about being so open with him sexually that he had forgotten that he hadn't told Levi about this side of himself. He took Levi's hand and guided them both to sit side-by-side on the couch, before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Because there are parts of me that I haven't told you about. Because I didn't want to scare you." he exhaled heavily, hoping that his confession wouldn't seem out of the ordinary.

Levi's eyes shimmered with a calculating look and he opened his mouth to ask a question, then reconsidered himself and then closed it. "Go on." he urged.

"I'm used to having a very...unlimited sex life." Erwin began, "Not in the sense that I sleep around with lots of people. It's not like I have a...an addiction or a problem or anything. It's just, sometimes I prefer to...well, play a bit in the bedroom." he shrugged, watching Levi's eyes carefully for any sign of concern. "I never asked you to with me because I didn't want you feel pressured. Or that I was expecting anything of you. I didn't want you to try something you didn't feel comfortable with and then think less of me, or that we weren't compatible or anything."

"So you just...didn't tell me?" Levi asked, his thin eyebrows pulling together. "Erwin, I wouldn't want you to hide parts of yourself away from me. Would you have wanted me to hide my past away from you?"

Erwin hung his head. He knew Levi was right, but he couldn't help but want to protect him. "No, you're right. I wouldn't want you to. And I'm so sorry I kept this all from you. But, Levi, I'm curious; how did you find out? About it all? About the sex? The flings on the trip? I know you were the one at the bar in LA."

Levi blushed. "Well, I didn't really make an effort to hide that from you, did I?" He chuckled. "I heard you on the phone with Miche the day you left." he confessed. "I wanted to say something about the whole thing, but then I thought that it was probably best if I didn't. You can't change who you were or what you did, so there was no point in me asking about it. And it made me realize, I can't change my past and what happened to me. But I can change my future, just like how you changed ours. If you didn't hide your rather lively sex life from me, then I probably wouldn't have realized that you did change for me. But I never changed for you, and that was keeping us from growing closer."

Erwin nodded, following Levi's logic. "I see." He commented, finding Levi's thought process fascinating. "If I changed something, and you changed something, then we both alter the relationship with have together by altering ourselves."

"Exactly." Levi replied. "I thought what is the simplest think I can do to appear more sexy for you? If I couldn't raise the courage to sleep with you so daringly, I could at least change my appearance to something a little less professional. So I wore your t-shirt."

"And I loved it." Erwin murmured, leaning in to kiss Levi's temple. "It was a thoughtful thing for you to do."

"And it was comfortable too." Levi mumbled, "I didn't feel like I was exposing too much skin, or that I was going to be punished for anything later. It felt good to just...see you smile at me, and see that look of amazement on your face."

Erwin felt a warmth spread in his chest and he wrapped Levi in a hug, pulling him close to his chest. His action spoke words the words that he couldn't find, and it was only when he pulled away that he realized he was crying. "I'm sorry," he apologized, wiping the tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand, "It's just...I've wanted to help you get over your past for a long time now. And I'm just...so proud of you, to have started to find yourself again."

Levi chuckled nervously, watching Erwin with concern in his silver eyes, before his lips broke into a grin and he wrapped his arms around Erwin's neck and kissed his cheeks. "Thank you, Erwin." He gasped, surprised by the intense emotional connection that seemed to amplify their atmosphere.

Erwin nodded, rubbing Levi's back, and wiped his eyes again with his hand. "I love you, Levi." he proclaimed, kissing his temple and then his hand. "No matter what, I will always love you. You...captivate me in ways I couldn't even imagine."

Levi blushed, then moved to boldly sit on Erwin's thigh. "How's this?" He asked, throwing an arm around Erwin's neck so that the blonde could use his arms freely without risking dropping him.

"That's perfect." Erwin smiled, then kissed Levi's lips. "Let's get you your gifts now, yes? Or shall I say mine?"

"Yes!" Levi grinned, enthusiastically. "Let's!"

"Alright." Erwin wrapped an arm around Levi's waist and leaned forwards so he could drag the suitcase closer to them. He dug under the clothing and produced the silky material and the box lube, having wrapped the two items together. "To spice things up, and to start to play slow." he held out both items to Levi, letting him hold them.

Levi nodded, watching Erwin with a deep trust in his actions. "Sounds like fun." he said, trying to sound excited.

"Hey," Erwin kissed his cheek, rubbing his back again. "We'll do this slowly, I'm not going to do anything you're not comfortable with. Okay?"

Levi nodded, putting on a brave face. "Sure." He agreed out loud, feeling more confident actually saying the word. "I trust you."

"Alright." Erwin reached back into the suitcase and produced the feather tickler, beginning to laugh as he teased Levi's nose with the feathers. "There's also this. We can use it just like that." He laughed.

Levi chuckled, bringing a hand up to defend his nose from the feathers. "That's soft." he commented, "I think I can handle that."

Erwin grinned, placing the tickler down blindly beside himself on the couch."Of course you can. And I want to let you know, any of this stuff you can try on me too. You can blindfold me if you want. Or tickle me. I'm going to be using the lube _with_ you, Levi. This is about us, _together._ "

Levi nodded, and Erwin was surprised how relaxed his lithe body became after hearing those words. "I'm not going to do anything _to_ you. I'm going to be doing these things _with_ you." Erwin stated, before hugging Levi close to his chest and kissing the top of his head. "Just like in L.A."

Levi chuckled against Erwin's shoulder. "About that." He began.

"Hmm?" Erwin asked, pulling away so he could look into Levi's eyes. "How was that? For you?"

"It was...fun." Levi shrugged, "I..." he bit his lower lip, trying to find the right words to express himself without sugarcoating it too much. "It hurt." He admitted, shrugging. "But it stings less now. I just...I didn't plan to go _that_ far that fast, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. I just...want you to know." he shrugged again.

Erwin nodded, then kissed Levi's chin. "It's alright. It was my fault. I lost control of myself." he admitted, "But I promise you, that's as bad as it's gonna get. I just...I was overwhelmed. I hadn't had that type of sex since I met you, and I hadn't seen that side of you. It was like heaven."

Levi laughed, surprising Erwin with his amusement at his words. "Really?" he asked, "I'm surprised. I mean, _I_ thought it was heavenly, but I assumed that's because I never had you that much before."

Erwin laughed, once again following Levi's logic. "True." He replied, "But I am sorry for it. I'll prepare you better next time, and I'll have more control."

Levi nodded, "That's fair." He agreed. "My insides hurt so badly the next day."

Erwin laughed. "I'm not entirely sorry for that." he teased.

Levi smacked his golden head lightly with his fingertips. Erwin laughed.

"It's late," Levi commented, "Why don't we get some rest now? Unless you'd rather show me how some more of those gifts work?" he teased.

Erwin wiggled his thick eyebrows, then smirked at Levi. "I could show you how the blindfold works." he teased, "But I have just one more gift for you."

"Oh?" Levi asked, surprise crossing his face. "Let's see it then."

Erwin grinned, then reached back into the suitcase. He retrieved a letter-sized envelope from the bottom of his suitcase, handing it to Levi without another word.

"What's this?" Levi asked, turning the envelope over in his hands. There was no writing on it, but it had the logo for MP Inc embossed in the top right-hand corner.

"Just open it." Erwin replied, gloating as he watched Levi flip the top of the envelope open in curiosity.

Levi rolled his eyes, then peered into the envelope. All he could see inside was a small stack of papers, so he reached inside and pulled them out. "What are-" He asked, then began to read over them. Most had a large image on the left-hand side of the page, then several rows of information per page. "Houses?" he asked, reading the listings Erwin had printed off for him. There was excitement in Levi's voice that Erwin hadn't heard before. "Are you- You didn't-"

"Whatever one you want, it's ours. Take your pick." Erwin replied, rubbing Levi's back and gloating with pride as he watched Levi's hands begin to shake with excitement. "I had a new colleague run to a realtor for me while I was in the meeting." He explained, "I had a list of things you wanted in a house, remember? When we drove by the beach?"

Levi nodded, "I didn't think it would be that fast!" he replied.

"Well, we can wait for more." Erwin shrugged, "But these are the ones on the market right now, and I figured if you wanted, we can put our name down on one of them so that we don't have to worry about finding one in the coming months. Once I get things all smoothed over here, in about a month's time, we can head out to the west coast."

"That sounds alright." Levi replied, his heartbeat coming down as he rationally thought through the idea. "That sounds great, actually!"

Erwin grinned, then kissed the tip of Levi's nose.

Levi pulled away, smirking, then narrowed his eyes playfully at Erwin. "Is Miche coming to the west coast too?"

"Well, things haven't worked out the way we originally expected them to. We decided to fully merge the companies together, so yes, it would make things easiest if we all ran it from the same district."

"Who would run this office?"

"We'd close it or hire a general manager." Erwin shrugged, "It doesn't really matter."

Levi laughed, "You have an answer for everything, don't you Erwin?" he asked, a fondness in his breath as he lost himself gazing into Erwin's seablue eyes.

"Only for you, my love." Erwin replied, leaning in to press their lips together in a sweet kiss. "Only for you."


End file.
